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Changes taking place at Port Townsend’s Discovery Bay GC

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Updated: April 1, 2014

In 2004, golf course architect Michael Asmundson and Nicolas Hurtado purchased Chevy Chase Golf Course, the 18-hole course at Port Townsend, Wash., from the Bailey family of Port Townsend. The name was changed to Discovery Bay and Asmundson, who earlier had designed the second nine holes for the Baileys, set out to improve the original nine that was built in the 1920s. He tweaked the layout with a new second hole and some new greens and tees. The course, however, was without the necessary funds to fix some of the drainage problems that persisted around the course.

That all changed in August of last year when Nicolas Hurtado bought out Asmundson’s share and now owns the course completely with his two sons, Tomas and Nicolas Jr.

Nicolas Hurtado, who lives in the South American country of Chile, is no stranger to the golf business as he has built some championship golf resorts near Chile’s capital of Santiago, including the country’s first public course.

Since taking full control of Discovery Bay the Hurtado family has invested more than $300,000 in the course, most by purchasing new equipment such as a new Toro fairway mower, aerator, a greens mower and a new John Deere ProGator with a Turfco top-dresser attachment.

Course General Manager, Randy White, flew to Chile in November to meet with the Hurtados and present a detailed proposal to improve the course’s playability. Improvements were started immediately and the most problematic drainage areas on the seventh and 13th holes have already been addressed. The course’s maintenance shop is being remodeled and the greens have been fertilized, fairways and rough have been top-dressed, new tees are under construction on holes two and nine while the eighth tee is being doubled in size.

While the improvements will be ongoing, the 2014 golf season will see a new look for the Port Townsend course that will make visitors want to come back. The 18-hole course plays to 6,641 yards from the back tees with a slope of 124 and an index of 71.0.

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