Underground golf car facility saves money, increases efficiency

Golf Course News, Jan 2002 by Joyner, Joel

PLYMOUTH, Mass. - Here at the Pinehills Golf Club, Centennial Golf Properties saved money and established a more efficient operation by installing an underground golf car facility. The facility is in the basement of the clubhouse and has enough car storage to handle two 18-- hole courses.

"Right now we have 85 cars which we used last year for our new 18-hole Rees Jones Course, but there will be 160 cars available in the storage area by the time our second course [an 18-hole Nicklaus Design layout] opens this May," said head pro John Tuffen. "It allows the cars to be easily accessed and keeps them in great condition."

The 13,000-square-foot clubhouse was designed by the Childs Bertman Tseckares architectural firm of Boston, and Club Car was involved in the basement design for the car facility.

"It's in the basement of the clubhouse with ramp access leading out one side of the building," said Larry Boudreau, project manager for Centennial Golf. "We built retaining walls around it, and those retaining walls are the foundation for the clubhouse."

The original plan was to have two buildings with the car barn as a separate structure, according to David Leibowits, vice president for Centennial Golf. "Our initial concerns were about the grades. Once we managed to get the grades to coincide with the building of the clubhouse, we decided it was the most efficient way to operate."

Ceiling-mounted electric boxes allow for quick recharging of multiple cars. "There's a steel-framed grid hanging from the basement ceiling that has wire and piping running to all of the outlets," Leibowits said.

When golfers approach the Pinehills entranceway, they're directed toward the bag drop area with a pavilion structure where they are welcomed, explained Leibowits. "The bags are dropped off and players park and make their way to the pro shop.

"Once they check-in, they head toward the driving range on the other side ofthe building where their cars and bags are waiting for them," he said. "It's very functional."