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A new clubhouse was also part of a renovation project at St. Marks Golf Club in San Marcos.
A new clubhouse was also part of a renovation project at St. Marks Golf Club in San Marcos.
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People who’ve played but not recently returned to the executive course at St. Mark Golf Club might not recognize the place these days.

That’s because a $4 million makeover at the course and grounds in San Marcos has produced new tee boxes, drought-resistant plants, new cart paths, reconditioned greens and a redesigned first hole that includes a waterfall.

But the jewel of the project is a new clubhouse that features stone columns, glass doors, hardwood floors and high ceilings in its bar and grill that serves breakfast and lunch. A patio dining area overlooking the ninth hole can accommodate up to 30 people, and there’s also a swing simulator for use after a round or for a pre-tee warm up.

Besides sprucing up the place, the project is seen as a way to attract junior players and their families, said Brett Miller, CEO of the course’s management company, Eat.Drink.Sleep.

“We’re trying to grow our junior golf base,” Miller said. “That’s the future of the game and our older members love seeing them here. We introduce a lot of kids to the game every day. It’s got to start somewhere, so why not here?”

Between the executive course and a regulation layout on property, St. Mark plans to host at least a dozen junior tournaments in the next year, including a Future Masters qualifier in early for the Junior World Golf Championships at Torrey Pines.

St. Mark general manager Frank Iannuzzi said reaction to the renovations has been positive, especially from junior players.

They are completely blown away,” he said. “They love how cool it is now with the simulator. They’re ecstatic.”

And parents can do more now than transport their children to and from the course.

“Now when mom and dad drop the kids off, they don’t have to go. They can stick around,” Miller said. “We have a lot of people come dine with us who aren’t golfers.”

Miller hopes the new clubhouse will entice people to give the place a try, or a second chance in many cases. Years of maintenance neglect left the course needing an image makeover as much as a few rounds of aeration and irrigation.

“(When we took it over) half the sprinklers were out and the pumps barely had pressure,” Miller said. “So you’d go around the golf course and you saw a lot of neglect, so we injected a lot of capital into the course. It’s a golf course, so you could spend an infinite amount of money doing that, but we wanted to do it efficiently. We still have a lot of work to do, but right now we’re pretty proud of it.”

Bottom line, Miller hopes the changes send a positive message to a somewhat skeptical regional golf community.

“Our biggest thing is getting you here the first time, or if you remember the place, getting you to come back,” he said. “As a team, we’re out there asking for people to give us a try. We think you’ll like it. We’re really trying to elevate the place and provide a value.”

BY THE NUMBERS

$4 million – Cost of executive course renovation

$2 million – Investment in the new clubhouse

$5 – Cost of a 10-minute warm up on the swing simulator

250 – Number of players expected to participate in July’s Future Masters event

4 – Number of par-4s at St. Mark’s executive course

306 – Maximum yardage at No. 16, the longest of the par-4s.