News

Last Update :8/28/2019

Henrico issues RFP to lease Belmont Golf Course to outside operator

Henrico issues RFP to lease Belmont Golf Course to outside operator

An aerial view of Belmont Golf Course in Henrico County. (BizSense file photo)

Looking to get out of the golf business, Henrico County has begun fielding offers to formally farm out the operations of Belmont Golf Course.

The county issued a request for proposals Monday for all those interested in bidding on a long-term lease and operating agreement to run the municipal, daily-fee course at 1600 Hilliard Road.

The lease would include operations and maintenance of Belmont’s 18-hole course, practice putting area, pro shop, snack bar and meeting space. It does not include the neighboring county-owned tennis courts, rec center and surrounding parking lots, which Henrico would continue to operate and maintain.

The lease would begin Jan. 1, 2020 and run for a minimum of 20 years. The county would retain ownership of the 125-acre property.

Responses to the RFP are due no later than 3 p.m. Oct. 4.

The county will host a mandatory conference and site tour at 10 a.m. Sept. 11. The county said the meeting is mandatory for any groups looking to submit a proposal to the RFP.

Neil Luther, director of the Henrico Recreation and Parks Department, which oversees Belmont, said the county already has heard from around 20 interested parties leading up to the release of the RFP.

“There’s been quite a bit of interest already,” he said, adding that the interest has come from both local and regional entities.

“What we learned is that a lot of people were following the conversation,” he said. “And this time around we are very clear what we’re asking for and we think we’re to get a good operator.”

The RFP process is the culmination of a nearly two-year effort prompted by the county’s desire to rid itself of the oversight of a money-losing golf course that is in need of repairs. The process began with an informal request for information from potential operators, followed by community meetings about a master plan for the property.

The county has owned Belmont since 1977, when it purchased the course from original owner Hermitage Country Club, which had run the club since its inception in 1917.

The course has lost money nearly every year since 2000.

“Henrico County has determined that the direct operation of a daily fee public golf course is not a desired core function of local government,” the county states in the RFP documents.

Conditions listed

belmont golf course sign

The course opened in 1916 as part of Hermitage Country Club. (Michael Schwartz)

Key elements of the RFP include the county forgoing any lease payments or revenue share from the new operator, while also setting aside $500,000 in county funds to pay for renovations of Belmont’s bunker, a project the county already had approved but was shelved while it weighed options for the course’s future.

The county would operate the course through the end of 2019, before handing the keys over to the new operator, who would close it for renovations, including the bunker work.

Luther said the county prefers the bunker work be completed before the new operator reopens the course for play in April or May.

“Seventy-one bunkers need to be renovated,” Luther said. “We expect the operator to do that work and get it out of the way before the course reopens.”

The county also would provide up to $250,000 in additional capital funding in years two, three and four of the lease, with the operator having to seek permission before spending the money.

The operator also would be required to contribute annually a minimum of 5 percent of Belmont’s gross operating revenue equal to or above $1 million into a capital reserve escrow account. That account would be set aside for capital improvements and major repairs that will help preserve the course’s future, the county said.

The new operator will have the ability to set new fees for daily play and to sell alcohol onsite, which has been prohibited under county ownership and is seen as having held back the course financially in recent years.

The new operator would be required to provide the fleet of golf carts and pull carts, and a PGA Class A golf professional to work onsite.

Citizen input sought

The RFP also calls for the creation of a citizen Belmont Golf Advisory Committee to “apprise and advise the Board of Supervisors on all operating issues and concerns arising during the term of the lease and operating agreement.”

The committee would meet regularly and would include a county-designated representative.

Once all proposals are received, Luther’s office will whittle down the list to a group of finalists with which to negotiate, before recommending the top bid to the Board of Supervisors for ultimate approval.

Luther expects that will be presented to the board as soon as its November meeting.

Mike Hatch, owner of Birkdale Golf Club and Brandermill Country Club in Chesterfield County, said he’s interested to see the offers that come in for the RFP.

Hatch, who in addition to owning his two courses also manages Hanover Golf Club and offers consulting services to courses around the country, said he’s read through the RFP thoroughly but is still weighing whether it’s worth making a run at taking over Belmont.

He said it remains to be seen whether there’s enough room in the competitive local golf market for Belmont to hit the numbers an outside operator would need to make it worth their while.

“Is the course and location good enough to draw 30,000-34,000 rounds (annually)?” Hatch said. “That is what an entry-level public course needs to be successful.”

Belmont reported 25,000 rounds in fiscal year 2019, up from 21,000 in FY2018, according to documents included in the RFP.

Hatch also questioned how third parties will view the requirement of setting aside capital and having to work with the citizens advisory committee.

The process leading up to the RFP also coincided with efforts of a group of golf course architecture enthusiasts that in 2017 began to publicly urge the county to consider restoring Belmont’s layout to capitalize on its ties to its original designer, renowned course architect A.W. Tillinghast.

Belmont is noted as the only golf course in Virginia to host a PGA major, the 1949 PGA Championship won by native Virginian Sam Snead.



[ More News ]


Join NGCOA Mid-Atlantic - Great Membership Benefits!

Can you assist Hurricane Helen- damaged golf courses?

Summer Edition of the Mid-Atlantic Golf Business Newsletter Now Available!

Golf Property Economics

New Listing! Hilda W. Allen Real Estate

Breaking News: Henrico EDA buys local golf course, The Crossings, aims to make it long-term home for PGA tourny

Mid-Atlantic Golf Business Newsletter - Spring Issue with NC

Who Should Run Clubs

Women's Golf Day Events Celebrate Record Attendances

What Defines a Club's Culture?

Selling Your Golf Course - Treat the Patient, not just the Disease

The Golf Property Analysts 2024 Market Report

The Cost of Golf - There Might be a Better Way

Click to Watch the Video - Lee Coble Receives USGA Dey Award

NGCOA MA Mouns the Loss of Frank Edward Herrelko Jr.

Lee Coble Honored by USGA

Members Take Charge at Lakeside Golf Club

NGCOA Seeking Events Manager - click for info

Middle Atlantic PGA Section Announces 2023 Special Award Winners

Partner News: Better Billy Bunker Buzz

NGCOA Announces Education Highlights for Golf Business Conference 2024

The Federal Club in Glen Allen, VA seeks General Manager

Bayville GC gains Audubon certification

Cost Versus Value - They're Not the Same - Why Does it Matter?

Williamsburg National GC (36 holes) Seeks Director of Agronomy and Grounds

Accountability & Fiscal Responsibility in Club Governance

Bunkers - Do They Really Matter?

2023 NGCOA MA Annual Award Winners Press Release

NGCOA MA Annual Meeting Registration Open, The Crossvines Winery and Poolesville Golf Cousre, Wednesday, October 4th

Current Golfer Mindset and it’s impact on Facility Planning

Sagacity Golf Partners with NC GCOA

Virginia Beach Golf Trips Made Easy

Custom Williamsburg Golf Trips with Golden Horseshoe, Kingsmill & Condos

Ready to Sell?, Aerification and Prof. Jakubowski on Golf Turf and Water

For Sale: The Crossings Golf Club, Durham, NC - Hilda W. Allen Real Estate

Save the Date - October 4th, NGCOA MA Annual Meeting at Poolesville GC

Club Tax Assessments, The Concept of Value and RSM's Phil Newman on Finances

NGCOA MA / NC Summer Newsletter - click here to read

Reminder: The Latest from Golf Business Advisors!

Call for Offers - Westchester CC (FL)

Golf Acquisition Opportunities (3) - FL, PA, & NY

National Golf Day - 2023 - Outside the Box

Golf Course Acquisition Opportunity - Country Club of Otterkill (NY)

Debt - The (not so) Silent Club Killer

The Cost of Golf - Is it $ustainable?

National Golf Day Registration Open

​Private Club Governance & Management - Defining Roles

Virginia Golf Colleagues Mourn the Loss of Paul Michaelian

NCA Webinar on Your Club's Real Estate Tax Assessment

Golf Property Analysis & Valuation - 2nd Edition Now Available

Erik Larsen incorporates traditional elements into St. Johns (FL) Golf Course to Rave Reviews

Choosing the Best Management for Your Club or Golf Course

Measuring Performance, Selling Solutions, Clubs, Fraud & a Hotline, & The GPA Practice Tee

Fall Issue of Mid-Atlantic Golf Business Newsletter Joint with NC GCOA - Click Here to Read

Register for the 2022 NGCOA MA Annual Meeting, November 2

Selling in Uncertain Times - Develop a Strategy

Just Listed by Hilda W. Allen Real Estate, Inc.

Some Reponse to Why Clubs are Closed on Mondays

Save the Date NOW for Golf Business Conference 2023

Summer Issue of Mid-Atlantic Golf Business Newsletter Joint with North Carolina GCOA - Click Here to Read!

Golf Property Analysts - Private Club Planning, Golf as it was meant to be, Is It Time to Sell?

A Consumer/Culture Based Approach to Private Club Planning

Transparency at Private Clubs

The Golf Pro Crisis & Its Impact on Clubs

Golf Property Analysts - Your Club's Tax Assessment

Hilda Allen - the source for golf course sales and advising owners

NGCOA Mid-Atlantic Annual Meeting Set for Nov. 2 at Independence GC in Richmond

Fairfax County Park Authority seeks Golf Course General Manager

Announcing Facility BMP Virtual Workshop and Prize Contest

Another Beautiful Listing by Hilda Allen Real Estate!

Just Listed by Hilda Allen - The Frog GC in Georgia, a Fazio Design

National Golf Day 2022 - Information and Registration

Mattaponi Springs Golf Club in Ruther Glen, VA Seeks General Manager

Larry's Interview on TurfNet Renovation report Podcast

Golf Leagues - A Lightspeed Guide to Growing Business

Register your course for Women's Golf Day - June 7th

Download the Pellucid Presentation at the Annual Meeting

Golf Property Analysts - Time to Sell?

New Listings and Recent Sales from Hilda Allen Real Estate

Hanover Golf Club sold to unidentified local buyer

Club Master Planning - A Market Based Approach

January Abstract OtR: '21 Sol Scorecard is 6 birdies, 2 pars!

Damon DeVito Named the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Golf Leader

Golf Course Acquisition Opportunity - Maryland - For Sale By Auction

Sep Weather, Aug Util; steady, solid results against strong "20 comps"

Employee Retention Tax Credit May Save You Thousands $

Glenwood Golf Course redevelopment gets planning commission approval

Google's New "Local" Ads Provide Big Advantages to Golf Courses

The Appraisal Journal - Valuation of Private Clubs for Tax Assessments

Morning Read and Sports Illustrated Announce Editorial Partnership

Is it Time to Review Your Golf Property Tax Assessment?

 



Join Our Email List