Tri Mountain Golf Course sale falls through

By Shari Phiel, The Columbian

Fans of Tri-Mountain Golf Course can breathe a little easier. The county-owned golf course will remain open through the end of next year — but with slightly higher operating costs for the county.

Clark County Council unanimously voted to extend its contract with Tri-Mountain Golf Management LLC from the current expiration date of April 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. The contract extension includes a 15 percent rate increase for 2025. Management rates for 2026 will remain the same as the 2025 rates.

Michelle Schuster, the county’s director of internal services, confirmed that the Cowlitz Indian Tribe had pulled out of purchasing the golf course for the $3.6 million it originally bid. Although Schuster did not say why the sale was canceled, the tribe had previously expressed interest in buying the property without the county’s covenant restrictions requiring it to continue operating as a public golf course. The tribe submitted an additional bid of $5 million that would have required all restrictions and covenants to end after five years, but that bid was rejected. The county had hoped to sell the property to reduce the ongoing drain on general fund revenues. Schuster previously said the income the county receives from course fees, golf cart rentals and other activities doesn’t cover the operating and maintenance costs for the property.         

At a meeting, Schuster said the contract extension includes an “option for us to end the lease 90 days early should we determine another option for the course.”

Extending the management contract also aligns with the end date for the county’s golf cart lease agreement. Schuster said if the council had ended the lease agreement early, the county would have been required to buy out the remainder of the contract.

The council has several options for the property. It could try again to sell the property with the covenant restrictions in place, look for a less expensive management provider, bring management of the course in house, contract with another government jurisdiction to take over the course, or sell the property without any restrictions.