An aerial view of thePlantation Country Club clubhouse and tennis courts. Photo courtesy of The Land Group.

The new owners of the Plantation Country Club want the property to remain in operation as a golf course, but a group of nearby residents who worried about the land sale is keeping a close eye on any future redevelopment of the property.

Glass Creek LLC, an investment group that recently purchased the 121-acre club in Garden City at 6515 W. State St., has big plans to revamp the property, the company announced in a Dec. 21 news release.

The parties to the transaction did not disclose terms of the deal; however, no financing was involved in the purchase.

Glass Creek acquired all real and personal property, including the land, clubhouse and equipment,  tennis courts, swimming pool, water rights and intellectual property of the private club from the previous owner, American Golf Corporation.

The Plantation is one of 11 golf properties that American Golf Corporation sold this month, according to the news release.

The new owners emphasized their commitment to keeping golf at the centerpiece of the Plantation’s operations.

“We see this as an opportunity to own and improve a special piece of property in the Treasure Valley,” said Will Gustafson, a Santa Barbara, California-based developer who heads Glass Creek.

“Our approach is to respect what people love, while developing plans for the future that balance contemporary aesthetics with its long-admired community presence. Our goal is to maintain golf and improve this property both aesthetically and economically for the betterment of all. My hope is that the members and adjacent homeowners will work with us to create a new and enhanced Plantation,” said Gustafson.

“Detailed studies of the topography of the course, a soils test and measurement of groundwater levels” will soon be conducted, said Bob Taunton, a Boise-based consultant hired by the owners, who live out of the area. “A number of other infrastructure investigations” are pending, he said, referring to one that will assess the condition of theclubhousee and other buildings.

Thankfully, it’s all taking place at a time of the year “when the play on the course is very sporadic,” said Taunton, referring to the 500 members and their guests who tend to golf when the weather is more agreeable.

“We have a window of three months to hit it pretty hard,” Taunton said of the analyses underway by a range of consultants, which will form the basis of an action plan.

Right off the bat, “We know the irrigation system is extremely old and antiquated,” Taunton said of the private club. “That’s something that we’ll need to address.”

He declined to disclose the cost of the renovations, saying only that the owners plan to “spend on the order of six figures this spring on some kinds of aesthetic improvements that would enhance the membership experience.”

American Golf manages 70 golf courses, but hopes to sell off most of its 26 owned golf properties to generate cash to pay for construction of new facilities for its Drive Shack division, according to Taunton.

Glass Creek signed a five-year management agreement with American Golf Corp. to continue managing the property, which means Plantation General Manager Jayson Petersen and all other employees, some of whom are seasonal, are being retained. All current member dues and offerings will remain the same.

On the subject of the sale, a group calling itself the Save Plantation Coalition said it welcomes a dialogue about the future of the course, but continues to be skeptical of  Gustafson’s “poor history” with similar golf course-related acquisitions.

“News of the completed sale of Plantation Golf Course to developer Will Gustafson came with short-term reassurances from the new owner about the future of Garden City’s largest piece of green space,” the group said on its Facebook page.

Many said they bought homes in the area to have golf course views and enjoy the wildlife the property attracts.

“What’s not to like about an improved clubhouse, better irrigation and other amenities?” the coalition said. “But how can improvements be made without sacrificing part of Plantation to bankroll it all? Common sense says it can’t happen. And that’s why the Save Plantation Coalition will continue to advocate for Garden City to pass an Open Land ordinance to maintain open space for wildlife, for flood protection and for the historical legacy of Southern Idaho’s oldest golf course. Accordingly, our No. 1 priority will be to Keep Garden City Green.”

Taunton said with the widening of State Street, the Plantation risks losing the 10th hole of the 18-hole course, which may prompt changes to the entrance and rearrange the entire course layout.

“A golf course architect is taking a look at that,” he said. This might also offer some opportunities for “sensible and sensitive” commercial or residential development on the grounds, which means the new owner would have to go through planning and zoning with city and county agencies.,

All of this is yet to be determined, he said.

“The owners’ goal is to keep golf there. That’s the working (business) model.  And our members have a passion for this course. We think that’s something important to build on,” said Taunton.

Though the U.S. still accounts for more than 40 percent of the world’s golf courses, the country has lost nearly 800 courses in the past decade, according to the National Golf Foundation. Some have been outright abandoned for their real estate value.