Passion drives Pinehurst Golf Course improvements
PINEHURST — For 97 years, the Pinehurst Golf Course has been a popular stop for casual linksters, but the course’s staff and club members are hoping a few upgrades can make the experience even better.
Built in 1928 and run by the now-defunct Kellogg Country Club, the 9-hole course sits tucked away from the roar of Interstate 90, surrounded by the Silver Valley’s greenest mountains and some of the area’s finest homes.
But over the years, the course and clubhouse had become something of a time capsule, and not always for the better. The original clubhouse, now owned by Shoshone Medical Center, sits roughly 100 feet from the new one and is a frustrating reminder of past decisions.
The "new" clubhouse has been described by some as “Basically a modular home on the edge of the course.” As the exterior paint faded, the clubhouse was somewhere between a peach and pink color that didn’t fit the aesthetic of the course, while inside, white walls highlighted a big room with little character save for plaques and trophies.
Last year, the course hired Kate Farrell to manage the course. She knew the clubhouse in particular could be so much more.
“This is a place people enjoy being at,” Farrell said. "It has so much potential. For what we have, we’re doing awesome.”
She began speaking to other club members, many of whom were already thinking of ways to improve the course and clubhouse themselves.
Folks like Jaime Edwards, Danny Kenyon and Jim Madsen are just a few of the people who have been instrumental in the work at Pinehurst Golf Course.
Kenyon coaches the Kellogg High School golf team that calls Pinehurst home during their season and said that PGC is among the more friendly junior courses in the region. Because of this, he is always working to find ways to improve the facilities.
“We just have an amazing golf culture here,” Kenyon said. “We want to make sure we take care of the course that takes care of us."
Much of the work completed this past year was either donated or discounted. Whether it’s the new roof on the clubhouse, the fresh coats of paint on both the interior and exterior of the clubhouse, the refurbished bar or the newly constructed shed for the KHS golfers, it has the community's fingerprints on it.
The nonprofit club is run by a board and a small staff to assist in the clubhouse and on the course. Everything else that happens is volunteer based.
“Our members are terrific, and we’re so thankful for everything they do,” Farrell said. “They want to see this place be successful.”
On the course, new markers have been placed near tee boxes, the course’s sprinkler system was redone, and other aesthetic improvements have been made. At nearly 100 years old, the course holds fond memories for its members, many of whom are second- or even third-generation members.
“We’ve done a lot for very little,” Edwards said. “We’re trying to make it so that it’s here for another hundred years.”
Five-year-old Ryder Martello works on his swing at Pinehurst Golf Course's recently upgraded driving range.