THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 26, 1995 TAG: 9503240209
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: Reported and compiled by staff writers Ida Kay Jordan and Denise
Michaux
LENGTH: Long : 153 lines
NEARLY EVERY golf pro dreams of owning his own course.
Jim Armentrout recently received from the City of Portsmouth the final agreement confirming his 20-year lease on the Sleepy Hole complex in Suffolk.
Armentrout and Ronnie Rountree, president of Rountree Construction in Suffolk, hope to turn the 18-hole Sleepy Hole into a public country club.
Rumblings that Portsmouth would sell the complex - which includes Obici House, a campground and the park - began after a 10-year run of the LPGA Golf Tournament ended in 1989.
The LPGA tournament started in 1979 at Elizabeth Manor Golf Club under the sponsorship of the Portsmouth Service League. The tournament moved to Sleepy Hole in 1981, and to Greenbrier Country Club in 1989.
One of the problems at Sleepy Hole was limited use of Obici House, which needed extensive repairs.
On paper, the complex was losing money - despite some $375,000 in annual revenues from the golf course. Meanwhile, some Portsmouth officials were reluctant to spend money at Sleepy Hole and budget cuts kept money from being put back into the facility. Armentrout knew that in order to take over the complex that capital improvements would be important.
He and Rountree - now partners in J.S. Baar - knew each other only well enough to discuss the situation casually. But what Armentrout got was an open-ended commitment from Rountree for any kind of help he could provide. The two then worked together to submit a proposal they thought the city would prefer.
``(Rountree's) expertise is figuring out how to do all the things we need to do,'' Armentrout said, ``and I figure out what.
``Our offer to upgrade the facility, they liked a lot. Often, when places are leased like this, they tend to get run down over time, and no money is really put into them.
``We want to bring Sleepy Hole to a level where people could be proud of it.''
The contract with the city specifically addresses the capital improvements not only to the golf course but to other parts of the complex totaling $1.5 million over the life of the lease.
The complex includes Sleepy Hole Park, which consists of picnic pavilions, restrooms, a fishing lake bordered by nature trails, and play areas for tots, and a campground.
The City of Portsmouth purchased the 262-acre areafrom Suffolk in 1962, when Suffolk decided that it could not afford to operate the Obici estate.
With Sleepy Hole Road at its doorstep, and because the park was in the Sleepy Hole voting precinct, former Planning Director Brewer Moore suggested the park's name.
Portsmouth opened the park on 65 acres in 1972, and the golf course opened in 1973.
One of the major improvements will be the reconstruction of the course's lakes, which ultimately will provide Sleepy Hole with its own irrigation source. Sleepy Hole currently gets water from the City of Suffolk.
The work won't begin until winter, but Armentrout plans to dredge and completely rebuild the lakes, which will ``one, be more pleasing to the eye; two, provide a good water source; and third, decrease the expenditure for water,'' Armentrout said.
``These lakes weren't really constructed with irrigation in mind.''
Of course, Armentrout said he would like to have everything done immediately, but he has a priority list.
``The greens are the top priority,'' Armentrout said. ``They are the lifeblood of a golf course. If you've got good greens, people will come out no matter how bad anything else is. We don't really want to test that point by only focusing on the greens, we'll be working on all of the bunkers too.''
Ten of the greens - eight on the front nine, two on the back nine - were completed last week, and Armentrout said those were the ones that were in the most need of new drainage. The remaining eight will survive another season and be redone next year.
There were other improvements under way last week. Workers continued to remodel the pro shop, separating it from what will be a renovated food service area. And a meeting was held to discuss a new golf cart facility.
Armentrout also plans to begin working on the parking lot in phases.
``That is such disruptive work that we have to do that gradually.''
What they hope all of this will do is bring a country club feel to a public course, without the country club dues.
Included in that is the Obici House, which sits on the 18th hole.
The building is undergoing extensive work to make it suitable for public use.
During the 1980s, when the city had an on-site manager, rentals at Obici House increased. In more recent years, the house has been locked except when special events were scheduled through downtown offices of Parks and Recreation.
``I was the pro at a country club in Martinsville, and I know that 25 to 30
the members, the sole reason they were members was to have a place for their daughter's wedding reception,'' Armentrout said. ``Well we've got that, and we're offering it to the public for meetings and receptions and such.
``It's been very well received. We've already got several meetings lined up. We've got it open during regular business hours where people can come in and make appointments and look at the decorating.''
Armentrout defends the increase in green fees, effective April 1.
The cost for a resident to play 18 holes on the weekend has been $11. Effective Saturday, the cost rises to $22.50. If a resident purchases a frequent patron card for $150, the cost would be $16.50.
The cost for a non-resident to play 18 holes on the weekend has been $16. Effective Saturday, the cost rises to $22.50. If a non-resident purchases a frequent patron card for $200, the cost would be $16.50.
In addition, golf carts will be required of all those playing before 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The cost of the cart will be an additional $10.50. (Please see chart for complete price list.)
``People are going to be able see where their money is going,'' Armentrout said. ``I don't think they will mind paying when they can walk out on the course and see where it is going.''
Armentrout and Rountree aren't spending a whole lot of time hitting the links these days but occasionally Armentrout takes a moment to look out at ``his'' course.
``It's pretty scary, no question,'' Armentrout said. ``I don't think anybody would be human if they didn't look out sometimes and say `Whoa!' I would be really nervous if I wasn't so confident in this facility.''
Armentrout's experience includes managing Sleepy Hole prior to leasing it from the city, as well Bide-A-Wee and City Park golf courses.
He will continue to manage the nine-hole course at City Park until a five-year contract expires in March 1997.
``Then we'll put out a request for proposals on that course too,'' Deputy City Manager Tim Little said.
Currently the city is evaluating four proposals, including one from Armentrout's company, to lease Bide-A-Wee, another city-owned 18-hole course. Bide-A-Wee netted $106,000 in 1994, the city said.
In addition to the $1.5 million in improvements over 20 years, the Sleepy Hole contract calls for $100,000 annual rent and a portion of profits to be paid to the city. ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
SLEEPY HOLE COMPLEX
[Color Photo]
Photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Partners Jim Armentrout and Ronnie Rountree envision a country club
atmosphere at the city-owned facility.
Staff photos by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
A threesome plays on the 18th green next to the Nansemond River,
behind Obici House, on the Sleepy Hole Golf Course.
Staff photos by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Jim Armentrout, left, and his partner, Ronnie Rountree, talk about
their plans for Sleepy Hole Golf Course in the pro shop.
NEW FEES AT SLEEPY HOLE GOLF COURSE
[For a copy of the chart, see microfilm for this date.]
Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Mary Boswell, left, Paul Bidnick, Rick Bidnick and Rick Shoemaker
discuss their game in the pro shop.
KEYWORDS: GOLF COURSE by CNB