Golf course under new ownership

After a string of false starts and deals that fell through, the Point Roberts golf course is officially under new ownership and on the road to recovery.

On July 5 the sale of the 194-acre golf course to Bald Eagle Valley Resort Holdings Inc. closed for $4.45 million.

“We’ll have a full work crew out starting Monday to start cleaning everything up,” said Wayne Knowles, spokesman for managing partner Coco Luo. Luo will be working with course designer Wayne Carleton and superintendent Rick Hoole to undertake extensive renovation of the degraded golf course “at a substantial amount of money,” Knowles said. They hope to have the course open in early 2018. Future plans include a new clubhouse near the 8th hole but “her focus right now is getting the golf course back to where it was.”

The sale includes two undeveloped residential phases for a total of 60 building lots. Former owner Kenji Nose will retain the existing five townhomes and two single-family homes on 1.12 acres.

Luo is a Canadian permanent resident living in Richmond, B.C. who owns two golf courses in China designed by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Knowles said. “She is a passionate golfer,” he said, with a 12 handicap.

Current ownership has the financial clout to turn the course around, Knowles said. “They paid cash. There’s no loan on the property.”

Former owner Kenji Nose struggled to keep the course up while saddled with a significant mortgage. “That was Kenji’s nemesis,” Knowles said. “He had to pay $14,000 a month to his lender whether the golf course was open or not.”

Luo acknowledged Nose’s significant contributions to the golf course and the community. “Without him this would never have happened.”

At 73, Nose is ready to leave the business life behind him. “He wants to build a sail boat and sail around the world,” Knowles said. Nose has said he would like to name the boat World Peace and dedicate his travels to promoting peace.