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Forest Lake Golf Club shows revenue gains; commission told six firms submitted proposals for permanent operator
Summary
City staff reported improved financial and operational results at Forest Lake Golf Club, described course maintenance and community programming, and said six proposals were received for the permanent operator role; evaluation committee will score proposals and return a recommendation to the commission.
City staff on Aug. 5 told the Ocoee City Commission that Forest Lake Golf Club has shown improved financial performance and course conditions under interim management, that maintenance and youth programming have resumed, and that six firms submitted proposals to operate the course long-term.
Parks and Leisure and operations staff said interim operator Down to Earth (DTE) began in May and that May-July revenue and net-profit figures have improved compared with the prior year. Staff reported a net profit figure (presented orally) and said July rounds and revenue showed a year-over-year increase. Staff also identified actions to address deferred maintenance: potholes will be tilled and repaired using a tilling machine, cart paths will be roped to control cart traffic, bunkers and tee boxes are being upgraded, and irrigation pump-house repairs were handled at little or no cost after a recent outage.
Nick (finance/operations lead) told the commission the facility saw increased exposure after being added to the GolfNow tee-time platform, producing 174 rounds and approximately $8,500 in incremental revenue within about two weeks. Parks staff described routine maintenance, tree-ring and palmetto cleanups, bunker edging and that the pump-house failure was repaired with minimal cost thanks to staff coordination.
Staff reported renewed participation by First Tee, a youth golf program for ages 7 to 18, and said initial registration is modest but expected to grow. To gather patron feedback, staff said more than 400 customer surveys have been returned; roughly 80% score the course between 3 and 5 on a 1-to-5 scale. Staff said the main negative feedback categories were pace of play, on-course restroom availability, and course potholes, and described operational fixes (bottled water distribution, beverage-cart hot dogs, cart replenishment procedures) intended to improve customer experience.
Procurement update: the city received six proposals for the permanent operator role. An evaluation committee held a briefing and will distribute proposals to committee members for scoring; staff said the committee will shortlist and forward a recommendation to the commission on Aug. 28. Staff stressed the final operator selection will be a commission decision.
Commissioners asked about the revenue drivers; staff said recent changes to restaurant hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), listing on GolfNow, and food-and-beverage improvements helped revenue. The commission and staff noted the goal of turning the course over to a permanent operator "in the best condition possible" by early next year.
Outcome: status update given; procurement process moving to evaluation and recommendation to commission. Staff will return with the evaluation committee's recommendation.
