Public golf course in Washington seeking new operator, more rounds played

Kitsap County is moving ahead with its process to find a new operator to run Rolling Hills Golf Course in East Bremerton, Washington.

In a statement Tuesday, the county noted the goal of the Request for Proposal, or RFP, process “is to identify an operator that will support the long-term success of the golf course by balancing financial sustainability, providing affordable and accessible golf opportunities for the community, and enhancing this valued public asset.” The RFP process opened Tuesday, Aug. 11 and will close Sept. 18 at 2 p.m.

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A 105-acre public golf facility, Rolling Hills opened as a nine-hole track in 1972 and unveiled its second nine in 1973. The course came under county ownership in 2010 with head professional Tedd Hudanich and superintendent Greg Peterson taking over operations. The Rolling Hills Golf Course, LLC, currently operates the course on a lease set to expire in October 2027.

More: Change likely at Rolling Hills as county seeks new golf management

In February, Kitsap County Parks hosted a public meeting to provide details about potential changes in operations and and provide an overall status report of the course and facilities. In 2024, the county hired the National Golf Foundation to conduct a thorough evaluation of Rolling Hills.

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The NGF provided an 80-plus page report that found Rolling Hills to be a “good-quality public golf course that appeared to be well-managed, but with condition and infrastructure issues that will have to be addressed soon. We observed that this golf facility is limited when compared to competing public courses in this local market due to its limited clubhouse space, shorter golf course and aging infrastructure.”

The report went on to suggest that $6.2 million to $7.7 million would be needed to be invested into capital projects for “high priority items” like new irrigation, clubhouse enhancement, green renovation, tee enhancement, tree maintenance and other upgrades, such as ADA compliancy. The largest projects — new irrigation and building improvements — would cost $4.7 million to $5.8 million.

The NGF also found that overall play at Rolling Hills has declined over the decades. Total rounds at the course were between 21,000 and 25,000 between 2019 and 2023, well below the highs of 35,000-40,000 the course generated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and below other courses in Kitsap County. Currently, Gold Mountain Golf Course, which is owned by the city of Bremerton, launched a renovation plan for its 18-hole Cascade Course, and has invested in recent years in a wedding venue on the site along Old Belfair Highway.

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“Many golf facilities nationwide and in the greater Seattle-Tacoma region have experienced a surge in rounds activity in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and the increased popularity of golf. However, this increase in rounds has not occurred at RHGC suggesting that something specific about this property is lagging in its overall appeal,” the report stated.

As far as recommendations, the NGF report suggested that Kitsap County take control of Rolling Hills at theend of the lease in 2027 and “hire a professional golf management company on a short-term (5 years) management agreement that will include golf operations, maintenance and food/beverage services. Under this structure, the County will be retaining professional golf operations services that should lead to success and generation of strong rounds and revenue performance.”

Under its RFP, the county listed numerous goals for Rolling Hills and its next prospective operator. Some of those goals include providing patrons with an improved tee-time selection process, generating revenue growth through increased rounds played, minimizing/eliminating taxpayer support for golf operations, and working with the county to develop a comprehensive master plan and capital improvement plan.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Public golf course in Washington seeking new operator, more rounds played