Oki Golf, owner and operator of eight Puget Sound golf facilities, purchased Trilogy Golf Club at Redmond Ridge yesterday bringing the total number of courses it manages to eleven. The Par 70, Gary Panks-designed layout, opened in 2003 and was awarded 'Best Playing Conditions in the Northwest' by Links Magazine in 2006. Part of a 1,080-acre active living development by Shea Homes, the course will now be called The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge.
'It's a very positive change,' says Clint Whitney who will continue in his role as general manager. 'It's very welcome for the Oki group as they take on a highly regarded course and a great property while the course now becomes part of the top golf course management organization in Washington. We can utilize each others best practices and make the golf operation even better.'
California-based Shea Homes, part of the JF Shea Company, a 125-year-old family-owned concern and America's largest privately owned homebuilder, has constructed roughly 1,300 of the planned 1,500 homes and began looking for a buyer for the golf course some time in the third quarter. 'I became aware of the company's intentions in September,' says Whitney. 'Shea is a home-building company, not a golf company, and has gone through this same process with four of its golf operations to date. With house construction nearing completion, the intention was always to sell the course so its not a case of them wanting to liquidate assets because of the current economic climate. That may have accelerated the desire to sell slightly, but it was going to happen in the not to distant future anyway.'
Apart from the name change and the fact Oki Golf cardholders will now receive all the benefits they get at Oki's other courses, no major administrative or infrastructure changes are planned. 'There's really no need,' says Oki's marketing manager Jon Schuller. 'The course is in great shape so, for the time being, we really don't envisage any wholsesale changes.'
Shea Homes area leader Richard Obernesser also stresses homeowners will retain their discounted green fees and preferred tee times. 'It's important for homeowners to know their privileges will not be altered,' he says. 'They will still receive discounts on green fees and preferred tee times from Monday through 12pm on Friday.'