Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
Courses
|
||||
 There are nearly two dozen casinos in Southern California that pump millions of dollars into the state’s general fund and the coffers of local tribes. Gambling on Native American reservations has been legal since 1987, but it wasn’t until 1998, when California voters passed Proposition 5 to allow slot machines and house-banked card games, that casinos began turning reservations into economic powerhouses. Since 1998, three tribal bands have purchased existing golf courses in El Cajon, San Jacinto and Palm Springs, and three others have built or plan to build courses on their lands, including Barona, Pechanga and Fantasy Springs. “I would not be surprised if you saw more golf courses, either on reservations or owned by tribes,” said Bryan Addis, general manger of The Country Club at Soboba Springs, which was purchased in 2004 by the tribal band that owns Soboba Casino. “It’s a neat attraction for any casino to add a golf course, and if they own the land that a course can be built on, it can be even cheaper than buying an existing one.” The casino-golf attraction is obvious. With profits gained from casino ventures, tribal bands are in a position to diversify their revenue streams in order to not be entirely dependent on gaming for survival. The Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which purchased Singing Hills Resort in El Cajon in 2001, has branched out into hotel acquisition and other business ventures — and other tribes are following suit. “About 26 percent of our golfers also spend time in the casino,” said Rick Tibbitts, director of sales at Sycuan Resort, which is physically detached from the 120,000-square-foot casino. “This property existed for 23 years without a casino, so we have a much different kind of atmosphere than other properties that may have other amenities but are, when you get down to it, about the casino first. We get resort guests who don’t want to gamble and who don’t want to walk through a casino to get to their rooms, and we get gamers who don’t necessarily want to be surrounded by it the entire time they’re here. So you get all the amenities of the casino without having to live in it.” Sycuan and Soboba Springs have benefited from the cash flow of casinos and are using some of the money on refurbishing projects. Soboba Springs recently completed a $4.5 million renovation of its 40-year-old facility that resulted “in a brand-new course that really just follows the original routing,” Addis said. The course added new bunkers and tees, expanded water features and added more than 250 yards in length. Along with course improvements, the new owners plan to build a clubhouse complex that will include a pool, tennis courts and wedding and fitness facilities. Maintaining a solid golf operation, however, is paramount in everyone’s thinking, Addis said. “The tribe is definitely involved in decision-making and planning but they really seem to understand that the golf operation needs to be managed by golf-knowledgeable people,” he said. “The tribe has also been very open to making sure that its members, our members, and the general public are aware of this great new course.” While Sycuan and Soboba Springs are adjacent to Native American land, courses planned by Pechanga and Fantasy Springs are following the model of Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino near Lakeside — which opened in 2003 on tribal land — with their own golf courses. Pechanga, located a short drive from the Temecula Creek Inn, has a $10 million Arthur Hills-designed course on the drawing board to complement its 188,000-square-foot casino and 14-story, 522-room hotel that includes convention space and six restaurants. The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, which own the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino near Indio, broke ground last month on a 150-acre, 7,000-yard golf course designed by Clive Clark. The public Kah We aH Golf Course is scheduled to open in early 2007, and discussions have taken place with the LPGA about possible tournaments at the course, which will augment the 265,000-square-foot casino. The fact that Native American tribes are investing money into existing courses or building new ones indicates that, when it comes to golf, long-term planning is beginning to take precedent over short-term profits. “Our owners had many opportunities over the years to sell,” said Tibbitts, who has been at the property for 23 years. “But it wasn’t until they began speaking to the tribe right down the road that they felt they’d found a solid fit. Any time the place you work for is purchased by someone new, you have fears about what they’re going to do and who they’re going to keep, but the tribe kept the golf course staff from upper management on down. “I really feel it’s important to protect the interests of local golfers,” Tibbitts continued. “Besides, when you get down to it, no one is more local than a tribe that’s been here far longer than the rest of us.” |
||||
RSS Subscribe
