10.24.22 Alderbrook Golf Course Meeting
Wow, if ½ of you became members we can make this work!
My name is Patrick Zweifel, 4th generation farmer here in Tillamook, my wife and I started our business in 1996…… We bought this farm in 2001, 20 years ago it was a horse pasture and a field of blackberries. You can see what we’ve done…. We ship flower nationally/internationally. We host events. This barn has been occupied each weekend from it’s opening in the 2nd week of May through this past weekend. Only empty one weekend, wedding got cancelled 2 weeks prior.
This meeting serves 2 purposes:
- Share my vision, and what I want to do with Alderbrook Golf Course
- Financial needs of project to go forward and what I need help with.
- And the result of the meeting will either be lets go, or lets not go…..
I want most of all to be remembered for my family, my character, and my values…… but I want my signature on Alderbrook Golf Course. This farm, and what we’ve been able to accomplish the past 20 years, that’s just a prelude to what can be done at Alderbrook Golf Course. I think everyone can recognize that Alderbrook is an amazing piece of property, just think what it might look like in 20 years?
I’ve got 20 good years left in me and I’m committed to making Alderbrook golf course an amazing experience for anyone who drives by, sets foot on, or plays golf at Alderbrook.
In 2024 Alderbrook Golf Course will be 100 years old, the efforts we put forth on this course will propel it for another 100 years.
Our goals:
- Operate a well-managed 18 hole golf course that can attract golfers 2 hours away or further to play frequently.
- Bring golf course playable by Spring of 2023. In order to have spring/summer golf I need to get on there right away.
- Double golf play with 1-2 years. Increase to 3-fold golf play 3-5 years. (that would be 66% of national average).
- Focus on event center–Alderbrook Golf, Gardens, & Gatherings. What makes this a destination place….. it’s more than just a golf course.
- Weddings, parties, graduations, music festivals, corporate events, special dinner events
- Turn hillside into amphitheater
- Build pavilion event structure on top of hillside
- Thriving restaurant where people/families are willing to drive to and keep full. Thriving restaurant and thriving golf course/event center go hand in hand.
- Re-imagine landscaping to provide colorful, welcome property where people will drive by in awe. Flowering trees, hydrangeas, etc. Junk is removed and replaced with glory.
- Desire to build golf course into family activity center. Carve out a putting course, 3 holes here, walk a path full of flowers and plants, 3 more holes, walking path, 3 more holes. Need to involve family—where they would come to buy a meal and then spend an hour or two with good, wholesome family fun.
- Extra 20 acres on top, different zoning, may be room for 1-2 holes, lengthen out the course in other areas. See this area as a Botanical garden, where people write about states away.
Our vision:
Restore and improve golf course to respected course supported by thriving restaurant, events, and family activity center.
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Why am the guy you should all get behind:
Tell story of coming back from the bank——
The past 25 years has prepared me perfectly for being the one guy that can make this happen:
Surviving adversity because of our vision.
Developing businesses, employees in multiple states, ship nationwide, do business internationally. Be honest with people and do what you say…. Recipe for success in business.
Marketing skills –tourism banquet last week, I was honored when Nan Devlin, tourism director said I was a “brilliant marketer”……………and that’s one of the skills needed the most for this golf course
2024 100 years old, that’s like a gift from God.
Agronomically, I’ve been growing things for a living the past 30 years and have learned a lot of things the hard way. Flowers grow back….so does Grass.
By the way Mike Lahmen, the founder of Bay Breeze Golf Course has agreed to be my mentor and he’s going to help me learn the process of golf course management.
Event business, we’ve developed an events business. We have people flying in to get married in this barn. Average 2.5 events per week from May through this last weekend. I can tap into our current website and have events at Alderbrook right away.
Ultimook Race
Coaching, running events, running tournaments
Running Camp
Golf Camp.
Golf Tournaments
Lastly, the Laviolettes like me and want to see me on the golf course.
I haven’t spend the past 10 years saving money to buy a golf course. I just spent the past 3 years building this barn, and it’s 95% paid for. Essentially I need a partner or partners to bridge the gap between a dream and reality. I believe I have a solid business plan with 3 years of proformas. I would like to share them as well as exact details of my deal with Laviolettes with prospective partners.
With the right partner, I’m prepared to work for free for 5 years and contribute between $100-$200k per year. And I would sink my heart into creating an amazing golf course and property where people want to drive from hours away to set foot on.
Additionally, we’re in need of a community investment side of things in the neighborhood of a million dollars. We played around with a lot of scenarios, but ultimately we are looking most seriously at providing a tax deductive avenue to give money (via YMCA), and then at certain levels a lifetime membership or other benefits in return. And you’d also get a brick/rock/concrete square commemorating your investment into the next 100 years of Alderbrook. We need to have a legal structure in place to make this happen, so we have some work to be done.
Timing: I don’t see Alderbrook coming back in a year from now…. I personally was hoping I could have gotten on their last month because the closer to winter, exponentially less can get done. I want to have it ready for spring play. Spring play allows you to take advantage of annual membership (selling at Christmas time) and a full season of golf.
My deal with Laviolettes allows me to get on their next week with the right conditions.
$200,000 Ernest money, I have one year to raise 1.5 million. Monika and I will be putting in $100,000 day one to get the equipment/ mechanical repairs/sand.
In order to proceed, I need everyone’s support. Some of you may have some money you can contribute some may not.
- I need people to golf. To tell their friends about golf, to be an amabassdor for Alderbrook Golf Course.
- I need a 3 year pledge of support for this new business. It’s going to take 3-5 years for my vision to start bearing fruit…… in terms of managing what’s here, it’s going to be night and day different right away but trees and plants take time to grow. It’s going to take 3 years to sustainably change some holes. Can’t make all those changes at once.
- I need you to eat at our restaurant. I need people to drink at our restaurant.
- I need you to get married on the golf course, I need you to have your business meeting in our meeting rooms.
- I need lots of members, at a price that might be $500 more than what it’s worth that first year or two. I need you to encourage others to become members.
- I need a million dollars from the community for lifetime memberships and/or other benefits.
- I need a partner who can contribute to the vision of making Alderbrook Golf Course a destination place.
10 minutes – why don’t we hear from you. can this be done? Will you help me?
This is what you can do:
Everyone here: www.hydrangearanch.com website, link front and center “ALDERBROOK GOLF COURSE” click that, it takes you to the Alderbrook Golf Course page.
- Register your name and e-mail.
- Take the survey (completed tonight). Survey will not be complete until this evening. Right now it’s a dead link, when it’s live it will lead to a series of questions
- Gives us a complete database of people who want to support us
- Gives us market research so we can make good decisions.
- I will post a summary of this meeting on facebook and the website, and I would like you to share it please.
- The conclusion of this meeting is probably not the best time to talk to a prospective partner/partners…. But I want to talk to you.
Either someone in this room is the right person or someone in this room knows someone who is the right person. Listen, I’m not good at asking for money, that’s one reason I don’t yet have a partner, but today is that day.
Call To Action:
If you’re interested in serving on a committee to make this happen , please talk with Dave Westmark
