Coming From Behind Ch. 11-13

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At setback that tests their resolve.
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Part 6 of the 6 part series

Updated 11/01/2022
Created 05/12/2014
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coaster2
coaster2
2,584 Followers

Chapter 11 Sweating the Details

Catherine, James, Brett, Scotty and I were all submerged in the final plans for the clubhouse, pro shop and out buildings. It seemed to consume our every waking moment. The number of things that needed to be resolved seemed endless at times. I think the only thing that kept me from slipping back into my old ways was the fact that Catherine was with me all the way, as deeply committed to realizing our dream as I was.

Delores had given us access to one of the men on the planning commission to guide us through the myriad of regulations in front of us. Without that help I think we would have added another three months of work and frustration. We were very grateful that Delores had stuck her neck out on our behalf. It was always good to have friends on the inside.

In mid-October we were ready to submit our finished plans and seek formal approval and building permits. The road had been paved smooth for us and we had all the permits and approvals within a week. We held a small celebration party with our gang of five at a local restaurant. Next on our list was to complete the signing of the construction contract and get the job underway.

Wilford Contracting, our builder, was impressed with the speedy authorization of the final plans. We had accepted his estimates and signed the contract for the four buildings within a week of the approvals coming down. The pro shop would be the first priority, with the clubhouse next, then the two buildings for maintenance and storage. The clubhouse and pro shop design were integrated to look like each other, while the two service buildings were insulated metal quick-erect structures with the outside in dark burgundy and the roofs in slate gray.

Catherine took pictures with our digital camera as the first soil was dug for the clubhouse. Scotty and I were standing nearby watching the event.

"Laddie, I'd never thought I'd live to see the day," Scotty said with a big smile. "It will be a fine course for man or woman."

"I think so too. I guess we should sit down with some of the suppliers and start thinking about what kind of inventory we want."

"Aye. The lassie can help us with the women's wear. We can have a wee meeting soon if ye like."

"Sooner is better," I smiled. We were getting down to the other priorities. Scotty had already given me the lowdown on leasing power carts. I didn't want to own them and few if any clubs did in this day and age.

"Sand," Scotty said suddenly. "We'll be wanting it before long. Do ye ken what kind ye want?"

"Anything but that light, fluffy silica sand. I hate that stuff," I said in no uncertain terms. "Let's use what everyone else around here uses."

"Aye ... then it'll be washed river sand for ye. I'll get to it now."

The thing I was coming to recognize in Scotty was his knowledge of what was going on at the other local golf courses in the Pacific Northwest. He had a network of contacts and had never let them lapse. His engaging personality kept him in touch with the key people in our business and he was using those contacts to keep up to date on equipment, services, problems others were having as well as sources of supply. It was hard to measure just how valuable he was. I had lost count of the number of times that my contacts with the other courses had asked if Scotty would still be here when we reopened. My affirmative answer was universally greeted with approval.

We chose the second week of November to travel to Phoenix and visit with my parents. Scotty would manage the site and call us if there were any problems. James was working with the contractors to solve any early problems that might occur and Brett was left in charge of the course development. Both reported to Scotty in my absence.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet your future daughter-in-law, Catherine Walston," I said as we met in the airport baggage area. "Catherine, this is my mother, Claire, and my father, Gerry ... or Gerard to be correct," I smiled.

"How wonderful to meet you, Catherine," my mother gushed. I had been praising her to the skies, so I wasn't surprised that my mother gave her a warm greeting.

"I hope you can give me some pointers on my game, Catherine," Dad said, also smiling broadly. I've set up a game for the four of us tomorrow. I hope you brought your clubs."

"You don't think we'd come all the way to Phoenix in November without them do you, Dad?"

Within an hour I was completely relaxed and convinced that my parents had accepted Catherine. She too showed every sign that she felt their warmth and that we would have two sets of happy parents welcoming our marriage. Marie had never been comfortable with my parents and I thought it might be because they didn't run in the social circles she had been accustomed to. Her parents were upper middle class and that seemed to be important to her. There would be no such problem with this marriage.

My father fell in love with Catherine almost immediately. It wasn't just that she was a beautiful woman but it was confirmed when we teed off the next day and he saw her first drive. Mom and I had a good laugh about it. He was hooked and watched her play with his mouth open in awe. Catherine played her role to the hilt, alternately teasing him and helping him with his game. I don't remember having as much fun in a round of golf as we did that day.

We played almost every day of the week we were there. It was just warm enough during the midday and afternoon that we were comfortable. By the end of the week, Dad's game was better thanks to Catherine, but then, so was Mom's. My bride-to-be was helping her as well and Mom was a good student. I was just along for the ride but it was a fun ride.

When we flew home to Portland, I was really happy with how easily our two sets of parents had accepted us as a married couple. They would attend the ceremony, of course, and since we had a three bedroom condo, we could put both sets up at our place for the week. Thank goodness we had two-and-a-half bathrooms.

We set our wedding for June 11th and although it was over a half year away, the mothers and Catherine began the planning. I had enough to do with the construction of the course and club to keep me occupied. As I told Catherine, "Tell me what to wear and when to be there and I'll be fine." I wasn't going to get away with that, of course, but I did want to minimize my involvement in the details. Our project was going to consume my attention for the foreseeable future.

To tell the truth, it wasn't as time consuming as I expected. Oh, there were plenty of details to be worked out as far as furnishings, inventory at the pro shop, equipment (lease or buy), promotional work, brochures, web site, and on and on. All of them had to have our input but I could almost see the time when we would be able to set a firm opening date. The only big question was when the clubhouse would be finished. If it was going to be done and ready to open during the summer, I was of a mind not to use any portables other than for the construction crews and our office. Objective: have the club open with a full, finished set of facilities ready to go. That would be ideal and would please Delores Sandoval no end.

Catherine was by my side all the way through this process, still finding time to plan our wedding. I got the feeling this was going to be a production number not much less than Will's and Kate's wedding. I blocked it out mentally, hoping that the common sense of Yvonne, Catherine and my mother would keep them from getting carried away.

"Terry, we have an idea we'd like to discuss with you if you have the time." It was Brett and James who appeared in my office portable early one Monday morning.

"Go ahead, guys."

"We were wondering how you'd feel about us organizing some tours for special interest groups," Brett began. "The course is going to be ready for play before the buildings are done. We were thinking, we could have the golf writers from the newspapers, the tourism magazines, Golf TV and the local stations out to see the course and show them what it's going to be like. Let them play a round. We're going to be advertising with all of them so they'd have a reason to write us up, hopefully favorably."

"I'll be able to give them a good feeling for the facilities too," James added. "I think it would be good for us to get some extra promotion and maybe some membership out of it."

"And of course," I smiled, "two young architects would get some additional exposure from it as well."

"Uh, well, yeah ... that too," James said bashfully.

"I think it's a hell of an idea, guys. Go ahead. Set it up. Don't make it too soon. We don't want the public to have to wait too long to see the finished product, but magazines have a lot longer preparation time than newspapers or TV. I hope this helps both of you find some new work."

"Uhhm, how do you think Catherine would feel about doing some interviews ... you know ... from the professional golfer's perspective?"

"You'll have to ask her yourself but don't be shy. We can use all the help we can get to launch this business."

I was half happy and half kicking myself for not thinking of getting our marketing lined up. Too many distractions? Whatever, I was going to have to get myself on track and pronto.

I explained the boys' plan to Scotty and I could see him nod his head in agreement.

"Aye, that's a fine plan, Lad. I'll be ge'ing my friends a ring as well."

"I wonder if we shouldn't hire an agency to promote the club?" I asked, as much to myself as to Scotty.

"Aye ... but would it be clever to wait until the local folk have their go?"

"Yeah ... maybe so. Spread it out over some time. Get some favorable quotes to use."

Scotty was nodding his agreement.

I sat in on the supplier meetings with Catherine and Scotty. I had my own biases but they were the experienced professionals and I wanted the pro shop to reflect the needs of both the weekend golfer and the lower handicap player. Some of our inventory would be on consignment but most of it we would have to purchase. The costs continued to rise but I was committed to getting this done right and not to scrimp or short-change the operation.

Scotty had negotiated some very good terms on a variety of items, including shoes, rainwear, bags with our logo and name on them, balls for the range and two lines of mid-range clubs that he was confident would be good quality at reasonable prices. Signature golf balls could be ordered as well but we hadn't decided on which brand.

Some of our suppliers wanted exclusives but we weren't in a position to grant that. I wanted a variety of proven brand names and if that meant a higher cost, I would live with it for now. It would probably take a couple of years to sort out which brands were the most popular but there was no accounting for fads. The square-head driver was a classic example. It was something we would have to be wary of – overstocking short-term fad items.

We had been using the pro shop as our site office and coffee room but we were rapidly running out of space. I bit the bullet and ordered a large portable to use as our office, making sure we had enough space for the five of us to work effectively. I was hoping that if the construction went as planned, it would be the only portable I would have to use. The construction company would have their own unit and our security firm would use Scotty's old trailer for their man.

I decided to hire a company to run the restaurant and lounge facilities. They would have the experience and manpower to do it without our having to go to all the trouble of staffing it ourselves. Over time I might change my mind but for now, it took the burden of that part of our organization off my shoulders. I interviewed three companies and chose one on the basis of both my gut feel and their experience. They weren't the cheapest but their references were excellent and I got no negative feedback when I checked them.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at the Walston home in Eugene. There wouldn't be anyone on our construction site other than the hired security we now employed. The last thing we needed was to have valuable materials and tools stolen. Yes, we were insured, but besides the deductible it was the inconvenience and the possibility that some of the stolen items might be irreplaceable. We also installed some security cameras to cover the entire site. They would remain when the project was complete.

Yvonne and Fred made me feel very much at home over that weekend. We watched some football, ate too much, did a bit of sightseeing around the U. of O. campus and generally relaxed and had a good time. There was no need and no ambition to rush out Friday to go shopping with the throngs. I thought how similar this family was to my own. We were close and so were Catherine and her family. They spent almost an hour on the phone with her sister and her family in Boise on Thanksgiving Day. I said hello to them, introducing myself and promising to find a way to visit in the future.

Christmas was a small affair for us. We celebrated with Scotty, James and Brett on Christmas Eve, leaving Christmas Day for just Catherine and me. I gave her a diamond necklace to make up for the modest diamond she chose for an engagement ring. It was an extravagance but I wanted to show her just how much she meant to me and I was happy when she received it with thanks. Naturally, we called our families to wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance.

Delores Sandoval invited Catherine and me to a New Years Eve party that was sponsored by the County. We dressed up, with Catherine wearing her new necklace and me in a suit once more. It was a first since leaving Chicago. Scotty was off to another party hosted by some of his acquaintances in the golf fraternity. The young architects found their own party as well.

It was back to work on Tuesday, January 2nd. It had been a green Christmas and New Years, something Catherine had assured me was common. It was quite a change from Chicago and the cold winds off Lake Michigan. It wasn't exactly balmy, but our crews could work in this weather if it didn't rain too hard.

We were getting close to having both the clubhouse and pro-shop fully sheathed and ready for roofing and siding. The windows and doors would be arriving in a week and that would allow some of the inside mechanical work to begin. The course repairs and redesign were complete with the exception of sand for the traps and the three new greens. The irrigation system was installed and the computer control would be hooked up when the service buildings were complete.

Catherine was constantly going over the budget and keeping me appraised of our progress. We were doing well I felt. We were getting good cooperation from our suppliers and sub-contractors. Materials and labor were arriving on time and getting their work done promptly. The soft construction market did wonders for the attitude of people. They needed the work and they wanted more in the future as well. It was quite a contrast to the way business was done in the east. I felt better and better about my decision to make Oregon my new home.

"I have an idea I wanted to bounce off you," I said one evening as we lay in bed.

"What's that?" Catherine asked.

"What would you say to our wedding being here at the new clubhouse on the official opening? How do you think you would feel about that?"

"I don't know. My parents might be a little disappointed. I think my mother especially wanted me to have a church wedding."

"Yeah. I should have thought of that. Well, the reception could be at Bending Willows."

"I think that's a given. Where else?"

"I guess one out of two isn't bad," I smiled.

Chapter 12 Unplayable Lie

There are times in my life when I'm convinced I'm invincible. It's usually just before something happens that proves I'm not.

It was one o'clock in the morning on a late February Sunday when the phone rang. Unfortunately, the phone was in the hallway and I'm sure it must have rung several times before my brain registered that I should answer it. Catherine was still asleep, or maybe just pretending so that she didn't have to get up. I had a premonition this wouldn't be good because of the insistence of the ringing and the time.

"Hullo?" was about the best I could manage.

"Mr. Monahan, it's Jerry out at the golf club. There's a fire in the new clubhouse and the other building. I called the fire department but you better get out here. Somebody set it on purpose."

"Shit! I'm on my way. Are you okay, Jerry?" I asked, suddenly wide awake.

"Yeah ... it didn't catch here at the trailer or the portable. Just the new buildings. Should I call the cops?"

"No ... let the fire department handle it. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay, I can see the fire trucks coming now. I gotta hang up. See you then."

I walked back to the bedroom and turned on the bedside light. Catherine was awake now, wondering what was going on.

"The security guy says there's a fire at the club. The new buildings. He said he thinks somebody set it. I'm going out now and see what's going on. You stay here and I'll call when I know more."

She was wide awake now.

"No ... I'm coming too. Wait for me," she announced as she jumped out of bed and headed quickly to the closet.

We got dressed in record time and headed for my car. I broke a few speed limits on the way, but at that time on a Sunday morning we weren't encountering any traffic. When we arrived at the club the fire was out, or so it appeared. The lights from the fire truck and our lamp posts showed lots of smoke but no flame that we could see. Maybe they caught it in time.

My hopes were dashed pretty quickly as we parked the car and moved toward the new clubhouse. Half of it was charred black and the fire department was still pouring water on it. I turned to look at the new pro shop and it was gone. Just a pile of blackened rubble when the framed and sheathed structure was a few hours ago.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut by a heavyweight prizefighter. I was standing and looking at the destruction of my dream and I could barely breathe. It took a minute or so to realize Catherine was hanging on to my arm with a look of horror on her face as well. She was just as devastated as I was.

Jerry must have called Scotty as I saw him wandering around outside the perimeter the fire department had established. He had a look of shock on his face that told the tale. We weren't prepared for something like this. We had been so single-minded about this project that it never even dawned on us that disaster could strike.

Oh sure, we had insurance and we would be covered all right. But what about time? How long would it take to get back to where we were? Thank God no one was hurt, but any idea we would be opening this summer had vanished.

I looked around for Jerry, our security guy that night, and saw him talking to what I assumed was the fire chief. He was pointing something out to him and I assumed it was what he had seen. I remembered he told me that this was no accident. I had a hunch who might have had a reason to burn the buildings.

I caught Scotty's attention and waved him over as Catherine and I walked toward the portable. I unlocked the door, flicking on the lights and Catherine immediately set about making some coffee.

"What a mess," I said to no one in particular.

"Aye. Bloody shame. The lad says someone set it. D'ye ken something like that?"

"No ... doesn't make sense. I saw him talking to the fire chief, so they'll be on it right away. I wonder what he saw?"

It was at that point there was a knock on the door and it opened and the man I guessed was the fire chief looked in.

"Are you Mr. Monahan?"

"Yes, I'm Terry Monahan. Come in. We're just making some coffee."

coaster2
coaster2
2,584 Followers