Coming From Behind Ch. 11-13

We had hired two stretch limousines to carry the wedding party. That included our parents and Scotty, of course. It also included James and his new bride as well and Brett and his lady friend. The champagne would flow freely at the Oak Grove club and I didn't want anyone to overindulge and end up with a DUI. There would be cabs waiting just in case.

I suppose I was on a high that afternoon. I'm not much of a dancer but, by God, I danced the day away. I danced with Catherine, her mother, my mother, Delores Sandoval, John Fortrand's wife Amy, James' wife Cecily, Brett's girlfriend whose name escapes me, and several other women I don't remember names for either. I suppose that was a good thing as it kept me from sitting around drinking champagne.

The club president of Oak Grove stopped by to congratulate us and wish us well with the new Bending Willows. I thought that was a pretty classy thing to do. If he was representative of the people who ran the golf clubs in northwestern Oregon, I was in good company.

I noticed that Delores and Scotty had more than one dance and seemed to be spending some time with each other. Delores had come on her own and I assumed that meant she was unattached. It was only later than I learned her husband had been confined to a long term care facility with Alzheimer's. There was little prospect of him ever going home. She was a fine lady and I thought she and Scotty would make a nice couple.

"I'm surprised you had enough energy to crawl into bed, much less make love," Catherine kidded as we cuddled after our first joining as a married couple.

"I'll always find energy for you, love. That's a promise."

"I'll hold you to that. I'm much younger than you," she giggled. "You'll have to get in shape."

"I didn't think seven years was that much of a difference, and, I'll have you know, I am in good physical condition for my advanced years. However, I will begin tomorrow morning getting myself back in fighting trim for my new bride."

"I'm going to hold you to those promises, you know. I don't want anything to come between us ... especially not the job. I'm going to be right there beside you to make sure you don't fall into that trap again."

"I made myself a promise long before I made that promise to you, love. That's why I'm here with you and not back in Chicago living the life of a lonely bachelor. This is the good life and I want to keep it."

She crawled on top of me and began kissing me while rubbing her body on mine. It took almost no time at all before I was erect again and she guided me into her in one smooth motion. Catherine wasn't a vocal person, but her body movements told me just how she was responding to our lovemaking. In the months that we had been together we had learned a lot about what each of us wanted from our joining. Now, words just didn't seem necessary.

Neither of us was in a hurry. We were going to have the rest of our lives ahead of us, however long that might be. We were both committed to each other and I couldn't see me making another mistake like I had six years ago. I was in complete comfort as I lazily moved in and out of her. She seemed weightless in these moments, and yet she was a voluptuous female that I could spend hours exploring with my hands and mouth. I couldn't imagine being more satisfied than this.

Wilford Contracting, under Garth Kramer's direction, had the clubhouse and pro shop sites cleared and cleaned ready for resumption of construction in less than two weeks. We were fortunate that there was no structural damage to the footings and foundations. While that was going on, the two service buildings were assembled on their pads in what seemed like no time at all. They were pre-fabricated steel and more time would be needed to finish the insides but they would be ready for use within two months.

At the end of each week, Garth would give Catherine, James and me an update on progress. He was very pleased that they had no problem replacing the materials, even the window wall in the front of the clubhouse. There would be no delays due to material shortages.

Scotty was hard at work organizing the inventory for the pro shop and supplies for the services. We had purchased two quad track units for light use around the course. Brett commandeered one of them for supervising the crews on the course rebuild while the other was for general use around the site. Power carts had been ordered for delivery when we had an opening date for the course.

Until the construction was well under way, we couldn't have people wandering about possibly putting themselves in danger of being injured. I meant it would be August before we could open the course to play and even then, access would be quite limited for safety reasons. Nonetheless, at that time we would be open for business.

The model of the new facilities was finished except for painting and would be delivered before we opened. The picture storyboard was well along thanks to Catherine and Brett. They would continue to add photos as construction progressed. I was interviewing staff for the grounds crew and maintenance department, naturally with Scotty's help. There was no shortage of people looking for work. We had canvassed the other clubs to find out what the pay rates were so that we wouldn't under or overpay our people.

The new scorecards were printed and all of us were happy with them. Our website would be done by a local professional that James knew. It even included a virtual tour of the course showing the clubhouse, pro shop and facilities. It looked fantastic and it got me excited all over again about opening the course to public play.

We settled on Friday, August 26th as our first day welcoming the playing public. Actually, we had invited a number of press and golf-related people including our suppliers earlier in the week to play the course and give us their opinion. No one turned us down, even knowing it would be some time before all the facilities were in place. We wanted their opinion on the course itself.

Catherine, Brett and Scotty would be a big feature of those preview rounds. Brett could answer to the design of the course, Scotty to assess the feedback from his suppliers, and of course Catherine to play with the members of the media as a special treat. The plan was that she would play six holes with each of three foursomes but when word got out she would end up playing two days with three foursomes each day. Everyone wanted a round with the beautiful Administrative Manager and professional golfer.

As the opening week approached, I was on pins and needles. I can't count the number of times I toured the course to make sure everything was in good order. From the ball washers to the benches on the tee box to the signage: it had to be just right. We even brought in a mobile food service van to look after hungry or thirsty players. There would be no charge for our invited guests.

The model of the facilities was finished and it was spectacular. The roofs were removable to show the inside configuration of both the pro shop and the clubhouse. They had even placed the models on a landscaped setting showing the position of the two buildings in relation to the course. They had done a hell of a job. It was worth the cost.

The power carts arrived on time, complete with decals bearing the course name. I really liked that touch. They would be stored in one of the maintenance buildings under lock and key each night. We had hired four maintenance people, three of whom had previous experience. Scotty would be the manager of that department for the time being. Our new greenskeeper would arrive from Helena in September.

We had tested the computerized watering system and it was working as planned. The gang mowers were in place and we were cutting every second day at present. We didn't want to scalp the fairways and greens, especially during the hot summer weather. We weren't setting up for competition conditions. We were catering to the average golfer.

We scheduled the media and supplier events for the Tuesday and Wednesday, hoping that if there were any glitches that we would have time to rectify them before we opened on the Friday. I held a briefing for our guests, explaining that the three new greens would be a bit sandy to start with and therefore a bit slow. I also went over the models to show them the clubhouse and pro shop configurations.

My presentation was apparently well received even as I emphasized the hazard tape around the construction area was a no-go zone. I wanted them to assess the course on its own merits and we welcomed feedback, even if it wasn't positive. I introduced Scotty, which proved to be unnecessary as everyone knew him. I then introduced Catherine and again, most of our guests knew her from her golfing exploits. I was told more than once that I had chosen my staff well, even if I did have to marry one of them.

I had planned to include myself in one of the media foursomes but the demand was greater than the room, so I played both days with the suppliers. I was glad I did in the end. I got to know the people who would be important to the success of Bending Willows and I think I made some new friends. They were liberal with their accolades on our achievement and said it was exactly the kind of course families would enjoy. Not too demanding unless they were playing from the gold tees, but not so easy as to reward poor shots. I felt good about that since it was our objective.

I had played a couple of rounds before our guests had been scheduled and I was satisfied with the layout and the features. Catherine agreed with our suppliers' judgment but proof of the comments would be when prospective members played the course.

Catherine was a big hit with the media people. She was upbeat and confident as she mixed with the people who would judge and inform the public on the merits of our efforts. She put no pressure on them or herself, she just played golf and gave help and hints only when asked. I was immensely proud of her and I think she did us a world of good those two days.

When the two days were over and Catherine, Scotty, Brett, James and I got together for a post-mortem, the consensus was that we had a hit on our hands. There were few if any criticisms. We did hear that it would probably be a little too easy for professionals, but I could live with that. That wasn't our target market. Brett was beaming from ear to ear with the positive feedback he got on the course layout and condition. He had something to add to his résumé and a boost to his career. James would hear his accolades when the new facilities were opened, but the response to the models was all positive. He would have something to brag about as well.

Scotty, with his inimitable placid demeanor, watched the proceedings with a satisfied expression but little comment. His comment to me afterwards was all I wanted to hear.

"Y've done it, Lad. Y've done it fine style. Well done. I'm proud to have a wee part of it."

"We've got a very good team, Scotty. You're a big part of what we've achieved so far and you'll be a big part of our success in the future. Thank you for all your effort and support," I said, holding out my hand and shaking his firmly. The smile I got in response was more than enough.

With very limited marketing and publicity, we opened the course to public play on Friday as scheduled. It was slow at first, but by afternoon we were operating at capacity. Our food vendor had to send for a second truck to service the customers and that made them happy. But most of all, the feedback from the golfers as they finished their game was the kicker. It was unanimously positive. They liked everything about the course. The most frequently asked question was when the new clubhouse would be open.

By five o'clock Friday afternoon, our Saturday morning and early afternoon was fully booked. I wondered how word of mouth had gotten around this quickly and the answer was the media. TV, radio, and the morning newspaper had stories about our reopening after the reconstruction of the course and the fire. Apparently, we got a lot of favorable comment about what we had accomplished and the word got out very quickly. Bending Willows was back in business.

All three newspapers had feature stories about us on Saturday. All of them gave the history of the previous owners, the abandonment of the course, the acquisition by a new face on the local scene, and of course, the fire. Several pictures appeared with the stories, including the models of the clubhouse and pro shop. The TV stations showed file footage of Catherine during her LPGA days, mentioning her involvement in the management as well as our marriage. Both of our young architects got prominent mention as well. It couldn't have hoped for more positive publicity than this.

All of the hoopla and hullabaloo was over as quickly as it started. By Tuesday we were booking foursomes steadily at about seventy-five percent capacity. If it kept up like this, my cash flow projections would be conservative. What we wanted now were memberships. Our marketing company was preparing a drive for us and I was anxious to get it started. I had originally thought we would delay it until the facilities were complete, but the positive publicity was too good an opportunity to let pass.

We had set up an "early bird discount" for the first one hundred memberships sold. We had priced ourselves right in the middle of the local market, hoping that we would be able to convince people that it was a good value. It took a while to get some action, but slowly and steadily, we began to sell memberships to individuals and families. As usual, we had special pricing for social members, seniors (65+), juniors and family packages. I was sure we would do better when the clubhouse was open, even if it was in the late fall. In this part of the country you can play golf almost year around. That was a radical difference between here and the Midwest and had a big effect on the economics.

Now it was a matter of tapping my toes, anxiously awaiting the completion of the two buildings. The pro shop would be first with its lesser size and features. It was expected to be finished by mid November. The clubhouse with its kitchen, toilet and shower facilities and much larger size would likely be sometime near year end. We were cutting it close to our original agreement to remove the portables by then, but I wasn't worried. Delores had reaffirmed her willingness to forgive that original date, trusting us to have them gone at the first opportunity. I planned to live up to her expectations.

Catherine was as happy as I could remember her in the past year. She was deeply immersed in her responsibilities at the club, but was making sure we had time to ourselves. We were playing at least one game a week, usually a Wednesday. As fall progressed and the weather turned we saw our bookings drop off as expected, but not as much as I had feared. The course was holding up very well under rainy conditions and I was thankful for the good natural drainage that it seemed to have. Brett's attention to any wet spots last winter had paid off. The fairways remained firm and playable.

There was no great fanfare when we opened the pro shop except by Scotty, who immediately declared it a national holiday. He was out of his portable and into the new building the second the contractor turned it over to us. He was seldom an expressive man, but the wall-to-wall smile on his face that first day was something to see. He didn't just have a great shop, he had the goods to go with it. He was proud of his merchandise and the customers would know it.

We postponed our family Christmas when we knew the new clubhouse would be almost finished and need our approval before handing it over. Garth had worked closely with us to make sure we were happy with everything. The furnishings had been ordered and would be held until the last minute. The kitchen equipment had arrived and was set in place prior to final installation. Paint, finish trim, carpeting, and window treatments were ongoing work. As the building progressed, I got more and more excited with each day. It was going to look spectacular, in my opinion. I have to admit some bias, of course.

The last two weeks of the project seemed to drag on endlessly. Dozens of little details would crop up to distract us, but the work progressed inching ever closer to the finish. I received word that sentencing of Norman Fears would be held in February and he was likely facing at least six years in prison as well as financial ruin. It was ironic that I would hear that almost to the day that our rebuilding project was complete.

Finally, on a dark, rainy night in late December, Garth, Catherine, James and I made the final inspection. The outside had been done for over two weeks. It was the inside that we had to go over thoroughly. We found little to correct and I was satisfied that we could call the job complete.

"Well done, Garth. You've come through for us with flying colors," I smiled.

"Thanks, Terry. I'm really proud of our guys. I think they did a great job. I hope you feel the same way."

"Absolutely. Considering the way things looked last spring, this is a great result."

"I agree," James echoed. "I have to say, if this is what working with contractors is like, my job is going to be very easy."

Garth and I both laughed. "I think you got lucky, James," I said. "You got the best guy possible for your first effort. I hope you learned a lot from him. They won't all be this good."

He nodded and shook Garth's hand. He was very proud of his first design and he had a hard time walking out of the building that evening. Even without the furniture, it was a beautiful structure. That reminded me of something I had promised.

"I'm going to have those last two portables removed, Garth. You see any problem with that?"

"No. This building is ready for occupancy. You can call your catering company and put the furniture and toilet paper in place and you'll be in business."

I let out a big sigh. It didn't happen quite the way I had planned, but this was the last piece of the puzzle. Bending Willows was a day away from being a fully operational golf and country club. Catherine was holding onto my arm as we completed the inspection and like Scotty had when we handed over the pro shop to him, she was beaming from ear to ear.

"Delores, it's done," I said, not even bothering to introduce myself. "Please come and see what we've accomplished."

"I'll be there in the morning, Terry. Don't forget the Danish," she laughed.

The kitchen was now operational and the staff in place. We would be serving breakfast, lunch, and if we had enough interest, they agreed to have a dinner service as well. They needed to get their staff up to speed and this was the best way to do it. The official opening would be the first week of January but we would be in operation beginning tomorrow to give us a week to get the wrinkles out.

The next morning, Catherine handed Delores a hot coffee as we stood in front of the new clubhouse and gazing into the lit interior. It was still barely daylight and the landscaping crew was still putting some shrubs in the planting area. The walkways were crushed stone and well compacted. We didn't have to worry about getting our feet muddy.

"Outstanding, Terry. You've done everything just the way it looked on the plans and the models. It looks wonderful. It fits this property perfectly. You've really done a terrific job."

"Thank you, Delores. You've been a big help and couldn't have got this far without it. There is one more thing I wanted you to see."

"Oh ... what's that?"

"Well, I guess it's a case what you can't see," I grinned.

She peered around and then I saw a look of recognition and a big smile.