Changes to operations at the Ozark Ridge Golf Course in Poplar Bluff are coming as the city’s Parks and Recreation Department works to make the facility more efficient, while providing the services customers want.
“It’s kind of a win-win for all involved,” said Parks and Recreation Director Lanny Corcimiglia of the pending changes.
The golf course always has belonged to the park department, but prior to Jan. 1, some operations were leased out to Bobby Godwin and his father, Buddy. Those included the driving range, merchandise store and the clubhouse’s food service.
“We leased the clubhouse from the city, and we had nothing to do with the maintenance side of it,” said Godwin. “What Lanny wants to do is be able to tell exactly how many carts or whatever are under one house. With our new systems, he’ll be privy to that and be able to tell how many carts and rounds were sold on a given day.”
With the hiring of Bobby Godwin as the department’s full-time golf operations manager in January, the previous lease no longer is necessary and those operations have been turned back over to the park department.
Having one person as a point man at the course, Corcimiglia said, will make things run more smoothly than they have in the past.
“Now we don’t have a golf superintendent or a head greenskeeper or a concessionaire. We actually have one person that is in charge and manages the whole place,” Corcimiglia said. “He is in charge of anybody that is employed here, and if there is something that comes up, now I won’t hear about it a week later.”
Already, bank accounts have been switched over, and the final piece of the merger, Godwin said, is the merchandise store. The city currently is in the process of purchasing the remaining inventory of balls, bags, gloves and other items.
Other upcoming changes at the golf course, Corcimiglia said, are designed for efficiency and wise use of taxpayer dollars.
“Our main focus is not just to make money. It’s to offer a more efficient system to be able to see where tax dollars are going,” Corcimiglia said. “It will allow us to say ‘this is where we’re spending money and this is what we’re taking in.’”
The season pass program at Ozark Ridge is being updated, Corcimiglia said, in an effort to make it easier for customers to pay.
“A lot of people don’t want to pay for a whole year up front, and we’re offering a way to break it up. We’re going to look at offering season passes where you can pay monthly or every other month, twice a year or once a year. That way, we’re able to track it,” Corcimiglia said.
The system will have an autopay feature, where payments can be taken out of a patron’s bank account on a set schedule.
“This way, we have them invested in the game. If we have their money, they’re more likely to come in July and August and spend more money on range balls or whatever,” Godwin said.
In addition, Corcimiglia hopes to be able to offer a “key card” system, where season pass holders can simply scan their card upon arrival and get immediately into their game.
The changes to the season pass system, Corcimiglia said, should be in place by April 1.
On the outside of the clubhouse, Godwin said, plans are in the works for an extended, screened-in seating area on the back deck where golfers can eat, relax and hang out.
“We have talked about it for several years,” Godwin said. “It will be good for guys who want to hang around after their golf game and maybe buy a drink.”
The park department, Godwin said, is in the process of getting quotes on lumber, concrete and other building materials for the project.
The work likely will be done by department maintenance crews in order to save money, Corcimiglia said, and he hopes the new addition can be completed by spring.
Maintenance crews recently replaced two bridges on the course which had deteriorated over the years, and staff are looking at different fertilizer vendors to help maintain the greens.
Even so, Corcimiglia said, the “golf course is in really good shape, but obviously there are some other things we can do to get it a notch better.”
“We’re in better shape going into this spring than we’ve been in 10 years,” added Godwin, who noted staff “can’t wait until July 1 to say ‘Oh, we’ve got to start taking care of these babies now.’ They have to be prepared February, March and April for what’s to come.”
In the end, Corcimiglia said, the improvements will make for a better product to offer to customers.
The course currently sees between 10,000 and 12,000 rounds of golf played annually, Godwin said.
“We had a little uptick last year, other than when we were shut down for two weeks because of COVID. Golf across the country has been way up because people couldn’t do other activities, and we hope to carry on with that,” Godwin said.
With the upcoming changes, Godwin said, there’s hope it will draw even more people.
“We need to get the golf course back where those guys from other places want to come here,” Godwin said. “It’s as good a bargain as there is in Southeast Missouri.”
The Ozark Ridge Golf Course is “not in competition with Dexter or Sikeston, but we want all their members to come here and play,” Godwin said. “We’re going to put out a superior product and they’ll come on their own.”