MARYSVILLE – The city has hit a hole-in-one with Premier Golf Centers.
Cedarcrest Golf Course used to be a drain on city resources, so a year ago it hired Premier to take over its management.
“They’ve made a positive trend at the golf course in just a year,” city parks director Jim Ballew said at the March 28 City Council meeting.
Things started a little rough.
“The course was really starved for food,” Premier president Bill Schickler said.
But the new management company quickly ironed out problems.
It’s central reservation system helped the course become popular with Premier Rewards players, which includes 70,000 golfers in Western Washington.
“The more they spend the more they save,” said Matt Amundsen, Premier director of operations.
Cedarcrest ended the year No. 2 in popularity among the 12 Premier-run courses.
Club pro Shane Day was able to get even more golfers out by inviting them via a special phone app to play at slow times.
“We package a lot of things together,” Schickler said.
Community events also helped draw crowds, including a Marysville Getchell fundraiser, men’s and women’s clubs, Holiday Lights and Easter Seals. Events at the course’s restaurant also brought in people.
Day is hoping junior golf gets into the swing of things this year. The rate for juniors went down to $15. He hopes to get up to 45 juniors playing regularly and is planning some camps this summer.
Schickler said so much of a course’s success depends on weather, and while it was great last year it hasn’t been so far this year.
“At this point let’s pray for good weather,” Ballew said.
In other council news:
•Mayor Jon Nehring said the 125th Birthday Celebration of Marysville was a huge success. He said he received more comments than usual about how great it went.
Ballew added that the city found out the waterfront really is a great place for events.
Council Member Stephen Muller said it will be even better when it’s fully developed.
Ballew also said city staff, despite being exhausted, wanted to know when the city would do another celebration like that again.
•Ballew said the Opera House has 55 events scheduled this year, and even one for 2017.
•The council passed a resolution supporting the Marysville School District’s $230 million bond vote April 26.
•Police Chief Rick Smith said he is growing a goatee and has helped raise $500 for the YMCA.
•Council Member Jeff Vaughan said he has seen an increase in graffiti. But Public Works Director Kevin Nielsen said someone has just been hired full-time to take care of that.
