Consultant takes input on Trailhead Golf Course in Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake residents and golfers have spent the week telling a consultant hired by the city what changes they would like to see at Trailhead Golf Course, a city-owned nine-hole course located on the corner of Liberty Lake Road and Country Vista Drive.

Andrew Staples of the Staples Golf Group travels the country designing and renovating golf courses, but Staples said his projects don’t just cater to golfers. “We’re also here for the nongolfer,” he said.

He presented several ideas to about a dozen residents Monday night along with city staff and representatives from the Liberty Lake City Council and the city’s planning commission.

“None of it is final,” he said of his suggestions. “A lot of it is just a test of ideas.”

Staples said he wants to make Trailhead a place that attracts families and people of all ages and make it a place for socializing. “This is our vision,” he said.

Staples planned to talk to several community groups this week, including local golf clubs and area high school and college golf coaches. He will gather the suggestions and feedback he receives and present it to the City Council at its meeting on Tuesday.

Staples said he’ll design three options for the city: a low-cost option, a medium-cost option and a high-cost option.

He noted that the clubhouse, which also houses a restaurant, is in disrepair and needs improvement. There are safety and quality issues on the course, and he said he believes the driving range is too short. There should also be a connection to Liberty Lake’s trail network to allow easy access to the course, he said, and there’s not enough parking for the current uses.

But the course has a prime location and nine-hole golf is in demand now, he said. “The golf course I believe fits perfectly with the current trends,” he said.

The course’s driving range is extremely popular and that should be expanded and capitalized on, Staples said.

“We suggest the range should be maximized,” he said. “The entire area is definitely overbuilt in terms of golf courses, but there’s not enough practice area.”

Among the amenities he suggested are outdoor social spaces, a putting course and a small children’s course. Miniature golf is also an option, he said. The clubhouse will likely need to be torn down and replaced with a larger facility. Adding parking is a must.

“The main piece of this is the building and the range,” he said.

The problem is the lack of space to expand the clubhouse, parking lot and add other amenities without spreading into the current driving range and the golf course, Staples said. “The only real place to go is the range,” he said.

He suggested moving the driving range and compressing the golf course, making two par-4 holes into par-3 holes, to make room.

The people in the room Monday had a lot of questions about how the changes would work and encouraged Staples to keep the views in mind when making changes. They all agreed that the clubhouse is in poor shape and probably cannot be remodeled. Several asked for more community gathering space.

One woman said Liberty Lake doesn’t have any space for outdoor socializing and events. “This can be a great thing for our community,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

Councilman Mike Kennedy agreed. “We need a large space,” he said. “We need a place where people can go.”

Several expressed concerns about the traffic on Country Vista Drive in front of the golf course and worried how adding amenities might make that worse.

After hearing Staples’ presentation, resident Astrid Kingsford had some concerns. “I feel like we’re losing the focus on golf and making it an entertainment space,” she said. “I just want to play a round of golf.”

But after hearing the discussion among the residents and learning more about how changes would be made, Kingsford said she was no longer so concerned. “I do love the whole community aspect to bring the community together, with golf being a part of it,” she said.

Staples said that while he wants to add amenities and appeal to nongolfers, there’s not enough space to add all the ideas he suggested. “It’s going to stay a golf course,” he said. “By no means am I trying to fit all these into all the plans.”

Staples said once all the input has been gathered, he and his team will create several plans at different price points for the City Council to consider. Once the council approves a plan, it will have to determine how to pay for it.

Mayor Shane Brickner, who was in attendance Monday, said the city is committed to doing the project right.

“I think it’s important that we design this for the next 50 years,” he said. “I don’t see us going small, but I don’t think we’ll go crazy big either.”