Chapter 11: Sweating the Details

Catherine, James, Brett, Scotty and I were all submerged in the final plans for the clubhouse, pro shop and out buildings. It seemed to consume our every waking moment. The number of things that needed to be resolved seemed endless at times. I think the only thing that kept me from slipping back into my old ways was the fact that Catherine was with me all the way, as deeply committed to realizing our dream as I was.

Delores had given us access to one of the men on the planning commission to guide us through the myriad of regulations in front of us. Without that help I think we would have added another three months of work and frustration. We were very grateful that Delores had stuck her neck out on our behalf. It was always good to have friends on the inside.

In mid-October we were ready to submit our finished plans and seek formal approval and building permits. The road had been paved smooth for us and we had all the permits and approvals within a week. We held a small celebration party with our gang of five at a local restaurant. Next on our list was to complete the signing of the construction contract and get the job underway.

Wilford Contracting, our builder, was impressed with the speedy authorization of the final plans. We had accepted his estimates and signed the contract for the four buildings within a week of the approvals coming down. The pro shop would be the first priority, with the clubhouse next, then the two buildings for maintenance and storage. The clubhouse and pro shop design were integrated to look like each other, while the two service buildings were insulated metal quick-erect structures with the outside in dark burgundy and the roofs in slate gray.

Catherine took pictures with our digital camera as the first soil was dug for the clubhouse. Scotty and I were standing nearby watching the event.

"Laddie, I'd never thought I'd live to see the day," Scotty said with a big smile. "It will be a fine course for man or woman."

"I think so too. I guess we should sit down with some of the suppliers and start thinking about what kind of inventory we want."

"Aye. The lassie can help us with the women's wear. We can have a wee meeting soon if ye like."

"Sooner is better," I smiled. We were getting down to the other priorities. Scotty had already given me the lowdown on leasing power carts. I didn't want to own them and few if any clubs did in this day and age.

"Sand," Scotty said suddenly. "We'll be wanting it before long. Do ye ken what kind ye want?"

"Anything but that light, fluffy silica sand. I hate that stuff," I said in no uncertain terms. "Let's use what everyone else around here uses."

"Aye ... then it'll be washed river sand for ye. I'll get to it now."

The thing I was coming to recognize in Scotty was his knowledge of what was going on at the other local golf courses in the Pacific Northwest. He had a network of contacts and had never let them lapse. His engaging personality kept him in touch with the key people in our business and he was using those contacts to keep up to date on equipment, services, problems others were having as well as sources of supply. It was hard to measure just how valuable he was. I had lost count of the number of times that my contacts with the other courses had asked if Scotty would still be here when we reopened. My affirmative answer was universally greeted with approval.

We chose the second week of November to travel to Phoenix and visit with my parents. Scotty would look after the site and call us if there were any problems. James was working with the contractors to solve any early problems that might occur and Brett was left in charge of the course development. Both reported to Scotty in my absence.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet your future daughter-in-law, Catherine Walston, I said as we met in the airport baggage area. "Catherine, this is my mother, Claire, and my father, Gerry ... or Gerard to be correct," I smiled.

"How wonderful to meet you, Catherine," my mother gushed. I had been praising her to the skies, so I wasn't surprised that my mother gave her a warm greeting.

"I hope you can give me some pointers on my game, Catherine," Dad said, also smiling broadly. I've set up a game for the four of us tomorrow. I hope you brought your clubs."

"You don't think we'd come all the way to Phoenix in November without them do you, Dad?"

Within an hour I was completely relaxed and convinced that my parents had accepted Catherine. She too showed every sign that she felt their warmth and that we would have two sets of happy parents welcoming our marriage. Marie had never been comfortable with my parents and I thought it might be because they didn't run in the social circles she had been accustomed to. Her parents were upper middle class and that seemed to be important to her. There would be no such problem with this marriage.

My father fell in love with Catherine almost immediately. It wasn't just that she was a beautiful woman but it was confirmed when we teed off the next day and he saw her first drive. Mom and I had a good laugh about it. He was hooked and watched her play with his mouth open in awe. Catherine played her role to the hilt, alternately teasing him and helping him with his game. I don't remember having as much fun in a round of golf as we did that day.

We played almost every day of the week we were there. It was just warm enough during the midday and afternoon that we were comfortable. By the end of the week, Dad's game was better thanks to Catherine, but then, so was Mom's. My bride-to-be was helping her as well and Mom was a good student. I was just along for the ride but it was a fun ride.

When we flew home to Portland, I was really happy with how easily our two sets of parents had accepted us as a married couple. They would attend the ceremony, of course, and since we had a three bedroom condo, we could put both sets up at our place for the week. Thank goodness we had two-and-a-half bathrooms.

We set our wedding for June 11^th and although it was over a half year away, the mothers and Catherine began the planning. I had enough to do with the construction of the course and club to keep me occupied. As I told Catherine, "Tell me what to wear and when to be there and I'll be fine." I wasn't going to get away with that, of course, but I did want to minimize my involvement in the details. Our project was going to consume my attention for the foreseeable future.

To tell the truth, it wasn't as time consuming as I expected. Oh, there were plenty of details to be worked out as far as furnishings, inventory at the pro shop, equipment (lease or buy), promotional work, brochures, web site, and on and on. All of them had to have our input but I could almost see the time when we would be able to set a firm opening date. The only big question was when the clubhouse would be finished. If it was going to be done and ready to open during the summer, I was of a mind not to use any portables other than for the construction crews and our office. Objective: have the club open with a full, finished set of facilities ready to go. That would be ideal and would please Delores Sandoval no end.

Catherine was by my side all the way through this process, still finding time to plan our wedding. I got the feeling this was going to be a production number not much less than Will's and Kate's wedding. I blocked it out mentally, hoping that the common sense of Yvonne, Catherine and my mother would keep them from getting carried away.

"Terry, we have an idea we'd like to discuss with you if you have the time." It was Brett and James who appeared in my office portable early one Monday morning.

"Go ahead, guys."

"We were wondering how you'd feel about us organizing some tours for special interest groups," Brett began. "The course is going to be ready for play before the buildings are done. We were thinking, we could have the golf writers from the newspapers, the tourism magazines, Golf TV and the local stations out to see the course and show them what it's going to be like. Let them play a round. We're going to be advertising with all of them so they'd have a reason to write us up, hopefully favorably."