Property Management Experience

FAIRGROUNDS GOLF CENTER
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA

Ownership: Sonoma County Fairgrounds

Lessee: Empire Golf Inc.

Empire Golf Services: Complete facility management including golf course maintenance, golf shop, food and beverage, and driving range

Dates of Service: September 1992 to November 2003

Sonoma Fairgrounds Golf Center is a 9-hole executive course with a driving range located inside the racetrack at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The course was originally built in 1965 at a minimal cost.

Prior to 1992 the course was leased out on a year-to-year basis, which prevented any major capital improvements to the course and facilities. In April of 1992 an RFP was issued by the Sonoma County Fair Board for a ten-year lease on the facility, with major capital improvements by the Lessee. Seven companies bid for the lease, and on May 20, 1992 Empire Golf was awarded the contract.

Empire Golf began major renovation work in September of 1992, and was completed in October of 1993. The improvements included:

•  Expansion, redesign, and lighting of the driving range

•  Rerouting, redesign, and expansion of the existing course

•  Complete renovation of the Golf Shop

•  Addition of automatic irrigation

Improvements totaled over $200,000 and were all well received. The course and its improvements were highlighted in the fall 1993 issue of NGCA Magazine . Income in 1994, the first full year of operations for the newly remodeled facility, was up 60% from the previous year, and up 100% from the previous operator's final year.

Empire Golf proposed and received two three-year extensions to the original contract in exchange for additional capital improvements to keep the facility current. Because of Empire Golf = s success, good working relationship with Fair Management, and public support, both contract extensions were unanimously approved.

The facility continued to grow in popularity and boasted the most successful Junior Golf Program in Sonoma County. With such programs as “Kids Play Free”, where every child played free with a paying adult, our Junior Golf Program was instrumental in offering affordable golf to parents and their children. The course also was very popular with seniors and allowed them easy access and affordability.

In 2003 the Sonoma County Fair Board embarked on the development of a turf track inside the existing dirt track. The turf track design displaced six greens on the existing course and necessitated a complete redesign of the course and facilities. Due to time and financial restraints, the golf course was not seen as a viable part of the project and the Fair Board bought out the remainder of Empire Golf's contract.

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MOUNTAIN SPRINGS GOLF CLUB
SONORA, CALIFORNIA

Ownership: Mountain Springs Golf Inc.

Management: Empire Golf Inc.

Empire Golf Services: Complete facility management including golf course maintenance, golf shop, food and beverage, and banquet operations

Dates of Service: April 1993 to June 1998

Empire Golf president, Rod Metzler and two investors purchased the Mountain Springs Golf Club in 1993. Mountain Springs had been open since 1990 and had continually had operating problems and losses.

Under the management of Empire Golf, Mountain Springs was turned into a successful and profitable operation. Empire Golf oversaw all aspects of facility management and capital improvements.

In 1998, a development group that also purchased the surrounding land for residential home sites purchased Mountain Springs Golf Club.

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ADOBE CREEK GOLF COURSE
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

Ownership: The Duffel Company

Management: Empire Golf Inc.

Empire Golf Services: Complete facility construction and management

Dates of Service: August 1988 to April 1990

In 1988, Empire Golf formed a partnership with the Duffel Company for the development of the Adobe Creek Golf Course in Petaluma, California. Empire Golf was the construction manager and served as general contractor in the construction of all aspects and phases of the development of the golf course. Empire Golf president Rod Metzler was responsible for all golf course construction management, working with both Empire Golf employees and sub-contractors.

Rod Metzler worked hand in hand with the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Company, and Jones' chief designer, Kyle Phillips. The goal of this working relationship was to achieve a golf course that was not only well designed and a pleasure to play, but also one that could be maintained to the highest standards with fiscal responsibility.

In the fall of 1989 Adobe Creek was sold to JGrande Inc. Empire Golf continued to maintain the completed course until spring of 1990. The course opened for play in July 1990.