Liberty Lake course to make improvements

Spokane County officials hope to speed up their relatively slow-playing Liberty Lake Golf Course.

County commissioners on Tuesday approved a staff recommendation to ask Phelps-Atkinson Golf Course Design of Evergreen, Colo., to develop a renovation plan for the course.

“I don’t know that I would say there’s something wrong with the course, but it is in the neighborhood of 40 years old and it does play fewer rounds than our other two courses that are newer and of more modern design,” said Doug Chase, director of parks, recreation and golf.

Chase said golfers played 34,780 rounds at the Liberty Lake course last year compared with 38,965 at Hangman Valley Golf Course and 39,117 at MeadowWood Golf Course, across east Valleyway Avenue in the city of Liberty Lake from the Liberty Lake Golf Course.

The study goal is to bring Liberty Lake up to par with Hangman Valley and MeadowWood.

Recommended improvements may range from minor adjustments to a hole – such as raising a green, adding a bunker or adding or removing trees – to a complete redesign of a hole, Chase said.

The cost of the redesign hasn’t been determined, but Chase estimated it may be $30,000 to $35,000. The study, which may be completed sometime this year, would be paid for from greens fees.

At least 10 companies sought the job, and county officials interviewed representatives of three of them, Chase said. Such personal service contractors are chosen according to their qualifications, not on the basis of bids.

The study is to include cost estimates for doing all the recommended work at once or hole by hole.