HomeMy WebLinkAboutC33350 - DWGR Mstr Cptl Impvmnt Pln and Firecliff GC Rnvtn Dsgn Contract No. C33350
CITY OF PALM DESERT
STAFF REPORT
REQUEST: APPROVE A DESIGN CONTRACT WITH HURDZAN GOLF TO
DEVELOP THE DESERT WILLOW GOLF COURSE MASTER
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND FIRECLIFF GOLF COURSE
RENOVATION DESIGN
SUBMITTED BY: Martin Alvarez, Director of Economic Development
DATE: February 27, 2014
CONTENTS: Hurdzan Golf Proposal
Recommendation
By Minute Motion:
1. Approve a professional services agreement with Hurdzan Golf for the
Desert Willow Golf Course for the master capital improvement plan and
Firecliff renovation design in the amount not to exceed $95,000.
2. Budget an amount not to exceed $7,500 for the consultant's reimbursable
travel expenses for up to 5 site visits.
3. Appropriate $102,500 from Desert Willow Capital Improvement Fund 441.
Backqround
The City owned Desert Willow Golf Resort consists of two 18-hole golf courses designed by
Hurdzan/Fry Golf, known as the Firecliff and Mountainview Golf Courses and were opened
in 1996 and 1998 respectively. The golf resort also has a 27,000 square foot clubhouse and
over 100 acres of surrounding vacant development lot pads. The Golf Resort was
developed with a vision to provide golf amenities to both Palm Desert residents and visitors
and as an economic development tool to attract new timeshare units, hotel and retail
developments that will augment the City's tax base. To date, over 173 out of 396 entitled
timeshare units have been built. In addition, a total of 281 hotel units have been developed.
The design intent of the Firecliff Golf Course was to provide a championship style golf
course that would challenge the highly skilled and potentially be used as part of the
professional golf tournament formally known as the Bob Hope Classic (now Humana
Challenge). Although the course was designed with the capability to host a professional
golf event, the course has never been included as part of a professional golf event. The
design intent of the Mountain View Course was to provide a course that would challenge the
avid golfer while still providing playability for the average player.
The Golf resort has been recognized as a 4.5-star public golf course by the professional golf
associations, magazines and media and it has routinely ranked within the top 50 public golf
Contract No. C33350
Staff Report
Desert Willow Golf Resort Hurdzan Golf
Page 2 of 3
February 27, 2014
courses in the nation. Both residents and visitors have enjoyed the golf courses and
amenities over the last 15-17 years, with an average of 80,000 golf rounds per year.
With the heavy golf utilization that the golf courses have experienced over the years, in
2009 staff contracted with the golf course architect Hurdzan/Fry Golf to evaluate the
condition of both courses including their playability in relation to the original design intent.
During their site visits and golf course evaluations, the architects reviewed the wear and
tear to tee boxes, bunkers, greens and lake edges. It was determined that over the years,
both golf course greens have become smaller in size; the aggressive growth of the
Bermuda grass has encroached onto the greens and the tee boxes have endured
significant wear and tear and bunkers required work to bring playability back to original
design.
Based on the architect's prioritization of the work, in 2010, the Mountainview Golf Course
was renovated. The greens were increased in size to their original design, the bunkers
were lined and drainage and new sand was installed. The golf course lake edges were also
renovated to improve ease of maintenance and appearance. These improvements were
necessary to improve playability, increase the pace of play and alleviate the wear and tear
occurring on the course over the first 10 years. The renovation of the Firecliff Golf Course
was placed on hold.
Discussion:
To address all future long term improvements necessary to renovate the Firecliff Golf
Couse, the resort facilities and to assist in maintaining the resort's 4.5-star rating for quality
of experience, staff sought a proposal from Hurdzan Golf (see attached). The propasal
develops a long term (3-5 year) capital improvement master plan. The proposed design
services are summarized below and include the following goals:
• Create a long range master plan of improvements to the Firecliff Golf Course to
include renovation of the tee boxes, bunkers and greens to their original condition.
• Renovating/reshaping all greenside bunkers to address shape, ease of
maintenance, installing bunker liners, installing bunker drainage and new sand.
• Develop plan recommendation on both golf courses to reduce maintenance/labor
costs, reduce water usage (turF reduction) and enhance the course's sustainability.
� Provide construction documents that will guide the renovation/leveling of the existing
practice facilities (driving ranges) to achieve improved usefulness and image of the
driving ranges.
• Provide guidance on increasing playability of the golf courses for golfers of all skill
levels by adjusting tees, landing areas, and hazards that affect play.
• Review the potential renumbering scheme to the Mountainview course to improve
traffic flow and improve the finishing experience. ,
� Coordinate with staff to review existing plant palates that require attention to improve
the playability and achieve the reduction of water use.
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Contract No. C33350
Staff Report
Desert Willow Golf Resort Hurdzan Golf
Page3of3
February 27, 2014
The architect will provide a master plan of all improvements, including prioritization of all the
future improvements, cost estimates, and a phasing plan necessary to restore the golf
resort to its original design intent and maintaining the high quality and ranking the resort has
achieved over the years. Staff recommends that the City Council contract with Hurdzan
Golf to accomplish the designs necessary to implement future golf course improvements.
The cost of the design services is in the amount of $95,000, plus the architect's
reimbursable travel expenses from Columbus, Ohio in the amount not to exceed $7,500 for
up to 5 site visits.
Fiscal Analysis
The design contract with Hurdzan Golf is in the amount of $95,000, plus an amount not to
exceed $7,500 for reimbursable travel expenses for up to 5 site visits. The design contract
will generate a master plan for future golf course improvement projects with cost estimates
and phase plan which will be evaluated by the City Council during the next 3-5 years.
Funds for the design work will require an appropriation from the Desert Willow Capital
Improvement Fund 441.
Submitted By: �
CITY COUNCILA�'I'ION
APPROVED ✓ DENiED
RECEIVED OTHER
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artin Alvarez MEET G DA � `� '
Director of Economic Development AYES: ' � ��1 � S� � ' ' � � lCtn �er�
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ABSENT: N��i�=-
ABSTAIN: >l�
�� - VERIFI�D BY: '�f
Paul S. Gibson, Director of Finance Original on File with Cit lcrk's Office
A roval:
J n M. Wohlmuth, City Manager
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14 February 2014
Mr. John Wohlmuth, City Manager
City of Palm Desert
73-510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, California 92260-2578
Re: Proposal for Desert Willow Golf Resort Course Master Plan, with
emphasis on the Firecliff Course
Dear Mr. Wohlmuth;
Thank you for the invitation to submit a proposal to:
• Create a long-range master plan of improvements to the Firecliff Golf Course
to include candidate areas for turf reduction on both Firecliff and Mountain
View Golf Courses.
The primary goals and deliverables shall include:
1. Submit a guidance document as to how to perform the necessary leveling
and maintenance practices to achieve improved usefulness and image of the
existing practice facility.
2. Create a long-range master plan of improvements to the Firecliff Golf Course
to include reduction in maintenance practices exclusive to manual labor on
Firecliff, especially in sand bunkers, by a minimum of 20% and provide
specifications to install liners, drainage and new sand. We anticipate that we
would be able to use specifications similar those employed to perform the
Mountainview Course bunker work.
3. Increase playability of your courses for golfers of all skill levels by adjusting
tees, landing areas, and hazards that affect play.
4. Submit concurrence letter on behalf of Hurdzan Golf upon reaching an agreed
upon golf hole renumbering scheme to improve traffic flow on the Mountain
View course.
5. Coordinate with the desert plant expert(s) selected and retained by the City
of Palm Desert to recommend areas for reduction in Baccharis and for the
installation of suitable, superior substitute plants. This includes enhanced
guidance in those desert areas that contain plants or trees essential to the
integrity of the intended design of the original golf hole.
6. Review and identify the feasibility of restoring Firecliff greens and tees to
their original design character, where appropriate, in a fashion similar to the
recently completed Mountain View project.
7. Coordinate with Desert Willow professional staff to identify any other areas of
possible improvements.
8. Prepare a comprehensive, long-range plan for all of the above improvements.
The comprehensive master plan document at the end of phase 3 should
accomplish/include the following:
• Detailed aerial map showing the plan changes and improvements
much like those received as a part of the Mountain View project. The
master plan documents describing and showing the improvements
must permit an experienced golf course contractor to prepare a bid
and perform the work, including written specifications and quantities.
• Improvements prioritized into a viable phasing plan of 3 - 5 years for
implementation.
• Estimated cost of implementation for each phase, including estimation
of the time and disruption in play said improvements may cause.
• Document outlining the estimated water/labor savings Desert Willow
should enjoy based upon the final turf reduction plan.
9. Consult with Desert Willow professional staff on prioritizing and grouping
the candidate improvements into a 3 - 5 year phasing plan, as capital
improvement allocations permit, and as based upon previously formulated
detailed cost estimates.
10. Work with Desert Willow professional staff and City of Palm Desert
representatives to establish standards and frequency of golf course
maintenance procedures with the goals to, where practical, reduce carbon
footprint, reduce water consumption, reduce energy consumption and
reinvigorate the golf course experience.
11. Offer suggestions to increase play and decrease costs where practical and
in full recognition that Desert Willow golf courses are an important asset to
the City and must remain economically sustainable.
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Page 2 of 3
12. Recommend suggestions and efforts to keep golf courses relevant and
attractive to development partners, residents and customers by retaining or
improving upon the current 4 �/z star rating for quality of experience.
13. Create a long range master plan of improvements to both the Firecliff and
Mountainview Golf Courses to include recommendations on reducing water
use and labor costs while maintaining the integrity of the golf course
designs.
Hurdzan Golf Design will work with whatever existing aerial photos, maps or
overlays that may be provided by the City of Palm Desert Departments of
Engineering and/or Economic Development. These maps and recommended golf
course improvements will be superimposed on the provided mapping, and
presented in digital format and/or printed at the most appropriate scale to
communicate the intent. Michael J. Hurdzan will serve as the lead designer and will
make most of the site visits required to complete the work.
Hurdzan Golf Design will assist other consultants and/or professionals retained by
the City of Palm Desert in planning and implementation when requested by the
City.
The total cost for all planning as outlined in this letter is Ninety-Five Thousand
Dollars ($95,000) plus allowable expenses. Once the scope of the improvement
work to be implemented and the approved changes are known, a separate
agreement between the City of Palm Desert and Hurdzan Golf Design can be
structured for detailed construction documents.
We appreciate this opportunity to re-establish the design intent for Desert Willow
golf courses, while reducing both turf area and requisite maintenance - notably the
sand bunkers on Firecliff.
Thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this proposal, and if there
are any questions or areas needing further explanation, please contact Christopher
M. Hurdzan or Michael J. Hurdzan at 614-457-9955.
Respectfully,
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Michael J. Hurdzan, Ph.D., ASGCA Fellow
Managing Partner John M. wohlmuth, City Manager
HURDZAN GOLF DESIGN, LLC
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