After seeing huge growth in golfers at its driving ranges, Kenton County leaders voted this week to continue the partnership with Indigo Sports, the company that manages its golf courses.
The extension of agreement with Indigo, a subsidiary of Scottsdale-based golf management giant Troon, came after a presentation from Troon’s vice president of operations about planned upgrades to The Pioneer and The Willows courses in Independence.
The upgrades include a covered tee box for the driving range and ball-tracking technology.
“This range is going to be really, really cool,” said Troon’s Nick Bednar. “We think probably the premier driving range in Northern Kentucky when it’s done.”
The agreement runs through through Dec. 31, 2045, with two five-year renewal options.
The centerpiece of the planned work is an overhaul of the driving range, which Bednar said has been “sorely underutilized” historically. The listed improvements include:
- Installation of golf ball tracking technology for approximately 14 bays (e.g., Trackman/TopTracer), which will enhance the driving range experience for current golfers and attract new aspiring golfers and families to the Premises.
- Installation of safety netting around the driving range.
- Re-grading of the range tee and landing area to create a “stadium” feel with enhanced target greens.
- Installation of new drainage and irrigation to provide improved turf conditions.
- Expansion of the teeing area to increase overall capacity to approximately 25 stalls.
- Installation of a covered structure with heaters to provide year-round access to the driving range.
The upgrade will also include a new pavilion capable of seating roughly 150 people, with both open-air and enclosed options depending on weather, intended in part to give the course’s clubhouse, which Bednar said comfortably seats only around 120, room to host multiple outings simultaneously.
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As for when the work will start?
“Improvements will start pretty soon,” Bednar said. “Our season winds down around mid-October, and that’s when we’re going to break ground on the driving range enhancements.”
The clubhouse upgrades, he said, will start shortly thereafter.
During his presentation, Bednar reviewed the courses’ performance under Indigo’s management since 2019.
He told the court that rounds of golf at the courses have grown from roughly 55,000 annually before 2020 to more than 80,000 in three of the past four years, with the county projected to match that figure again this year.
He said overall facility revenue has grown from $2.15 million in Indigo’s first year to an estimated $3.4 million this year, with the county’s rent from the arrangement rising to a projected $190,000 this year.
Driving range revenue in particular has grown from less than $30,000 in 2020 to near $80,000 currently, Bednar said.
Bednar also cited growth in outing participation, from about 4,000 participants in 2020 to nearly 14,000 last year, and said junior golf now accounts for roughly 10% of total play at the courses.
Bednar closed his presentation by pointing to the operator’s track record over the partnership’s history.
“It’s all about just putting a quality product out there, focusing on course conditions, safety and service,” he said. “We’ve achieved a lot over the past seven seasons, and we’re hoping to continue this partnership for many years to come.”
The extension, approved as a second amendment to the county’s original 2019 license agreement, comes with a $1.5 million capital investment from Indigo Sports committed to improvements to the courses’ practice facility, most notably a major expansion of the driving range. Under the agreement, Indigo must disburse the full $1.5 million within 18 months of the amendment’s effective date, subject to county approval of specific improvements.
