THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 25, 1997 TAG: 9701250285
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 64 lines
The PGA Tour and Virginia Beach are near an agreement to jointly build a championship-caliber golf course in the city's Lake Ridge section.
The $10 million course would be a major step in Virginia Beach's plans to become a popular golf-vacation destination.
Sources said officials with Hyatt Corp. have expressed interest in building a 500-unit resort complex at Lake Ridge if the golf course is built. Calls Friday to Hyatt's property development offices in Chicago were not returned.
According to sources, the PGA Tour would pay approximately $6.5 million toward course construction and the city would pay $3.5 million.
``We certainly are in negotiations,'' said Virginia Beach Vice Mayor W.D. ``Will'' Sessoms Jr. ``This is not a done deal, but we are very optimistic.''
The course would be worthy of hosting a pro event, though it probably would not land a stop on the PGA Tour. The region already has a PGA Tour date - the Michelob Championship at Williamsburg's Kingsmill Golf Club.
Most likely, sources said, the Lake Ridge course would get a five-year deal to host an event from the Nike Tour - the PGA Tour's equivalent of the minor leagues. If the Nike Tour event were successful, it could lead to a PGA Senior Tour event.
The Virginia Beach City Council is scheduled to discuss the proposed deal in private session Tuesday.
In hoping to increase the city's appeal to tourists and out-of-town golfers, Virginia Beach officials in the last year announced a strategy to develop four 18-hole courses and increase existing Red Wing Lake by nine holes while renovating the existing 18-hole Red Wing layout.
The plans called for two courses to be developed on the 1,200-acre, city-owned Lake Ridge tract along Princess Anne Road just north of the Municipal Center.
Lake Ridge, once planned as a city-within-a-city development with houses, shops and offices, is now home to the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater. The city, which has owned the land for two years, also plans two schools, business development and a soccer stadium for the site.
The Lake Ridge course would be designated a Tournament Players Club, a special category of course developed by the PGA Tour. Also known as ``stadium golf courses,'' TPC courses have an abundance of spectator mounds that offer fans elevated, unobstructed views.
Of the existing 15 TPCs in the United States, 13 regularly host either PGA Tour or PGA Senior Tour events. This week's PGA Tour event, the Phoenix Open, is being played on a ``stadium'' course - the TPC at Scottsdale. There are five TPCs overseas - two in Japan, two in Thailand and one in China.
PGA Tour officials declined comment on the Lake Ridge project Friday. However, Vernon Kelly, president of golf course properties for the PGA Tour, confirmed that Keith Tomlinson, who is in charge of TPC development, had visited the area several times.
``We've been prospecting the area, but we are prospecting several locations,'' Kelly said.
Tomlinson did not return calls Friday. Tim Finchem, commissioner of the PGA Tour and a graduate of Virginia Beach's Princess Anne High School, also could not be reached for comment. MEMO: Staff writer Jim Ducibella contributed to this story. ILLUSTRATION: [Color illustration]
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KEYWORDS: GOLF COURSE