The Cowlitz Economic Authority, a Cowlitz Indian Tribe agency, was the lone bidder in an auction last week for the Tri-Mountain Golf Course by Clark County, which owns the 18-hole public course.
In March, Clark County decided to renew Troon Golf’s management contract for just one year instead of the usual 10-year contract, an early sign the county was seeking a new path for the 30-year old golf course. A request for bids and a tour of the golf course to interested bidders took place in September. Clark County set a minimum bid at $3,525,000 for the Tri-Mountain Golf Course auction with the requirement that the property remain a golf course as a condition of the sale.
Prior to the bids, the county’s announcement it was going to take the course to auction was met with public outcry, with some community members concerned the sale of the property would lead to a permanent closure and possible housing development. That, however, is not set to happen.
“The County Council determined that a condition of the sale of the property be that it remain an 18-hole golf course in perpetuity and that condition be included in a covenant running with the land in the closing documents. So, yes, it has to remain a golf course,” stated Joni McAnally, communications specialist in the county manager’s office, in an email.
Bids to the county for the golf course auction were placed on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The Cowlitz Economic Authority made the only two bids, one for $3.6 million and another for $5 million. The bid for $5 million was rejected by the county as the bid asked that the condition of Tri-Mountain remaining a golf course end in five years, McAnally stated.
The other bid for $3.6 million was not rejected by the county, McAnally stated. The bid won’t be approved right away, however. The County Council will need to approve the bid from the Cowlitz Economic Authority after a public hearing. As of press time, that hearing has yet to be scheduled.
“The Cowlitz Economic Authority, which serves as an agency of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, has placed bids with Clark County for the purchase of Tri-Mountain Golf Course,” Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman William Iyall said in a statement to the Reflector. “The sale of the property offers compelling opportunities, and we look forward to participating in discussions about the best potential outcomes for its future.”
If the $3.6 million bid is approved by the County Council, the Tri-Mountain Golf Course would join the growing list of entertainment offerings the Cowlitz Indian Tribe provides, with the ilani Casino and Resort, just two miles away.
