Clark County officials are reassessing their long-term strategy for Tri-Mountain Golf Course after the Cowlitz Economic Authority withdrew its bid to purchase the property.
At its Wednesday, March 12, meeting, the Clark County Council unanimously agreed to maintain operations at Tri-Mountain Golf Course while considering future management and ownership strategies.
The Port of Ridgefield originally purchased Tri-Mountain Golf Course in June 1993. In January 1997, the port entered into a memorandum of understanding with Clark County to transfer ownership, with the county assuming full control later that year after the port could no longer financially support the facility. Since then, the county has contracted with third-party management companies to operate the course, with Indigo Golf (owned by Troon company) managing it for the past 20 years.
In March 2024, Clark County decided to renew Troon Golf’s management contract for just one year instead of the usual 10-year contract, an early sign the county was seeking a new path for the 30-year-old golf course. A request for bids and a tour of the golf course to interested bidders took place in September.
Bids to the county for the golf course auction were placed on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The Cowlitz Economic Authority made a $3.6 million bid, which was set to be approved following a public hearing.
Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman William Iyall issued a statement last week explaining the decision to withdraw from the purchase.
“The Cowlitz Indian Tribe decided to withdraw its bid to purchase the Tri-Mountain Golf Course after thoughtful consideration and due diligence,” Iyall wrote. “The Tribe may re-engage in negotiations around Tri-Mountain Golf Course should a strong opportunity present itself in the future.”
Iyall emphasized that the Tribe remains committed to economic growth and community partnerships.
“For the time being, however, the Tribe will remain focused on other ways to drive growth and prosperity for our tribal members and surrounding communities. We look forward to achieving this goal collectively through continued positive engagement and a strong relationship with Clark County,” he wrote.
Council decision on course management
The council considered three contract extension options from Indigo Golf. After deliberation, council members agreed on a short-term option, extending Indigo Golf’s contract through December 2026 with a 15% fee increase for 2025 and a fixed rate for 2026. Staff will present a formalized option aligning with the council’s direction in a future meeting for further discussion and potential action.
Councilor Glen Yung supported the contract extension but reiterated his belief that the county should eventually sell the property.
“I think that it’s still something that we need to divest the county of,” Yung said. “If we cannot find a way to sell the property with the covenant restriction that it stays a golf course, then I think we owe it to the taxpayer to sell it at its highest value.”
Other council members expressed concerns about financial sustainability but emphasized the importance of keeping Tri-Mountain as a public golf course.
“This seems like a good option for affordable golf and outdoor recreation,” Councilor Matt Little said. “To me, this looks like something that is providing some revenue and isn’t requiring much more cost than a normal park.”
Financial reports presented at the meeting showed that, since 2017, Tri-Mountain Golf Course has generally operated at a surplus, with the exception of this year due to a short-term contract extension that increased costs. Currently, the golf fund has a balance of approximately $1.6 million, though some of that is earmarked for maintenance projects. The current golf budget has a $525,000 deficit.
While noting his desire to maintain the golf course, Wil Fuentes raised the idea of closing the course during the winter months to cut costs.
“It’s costing us a lot of money to maintain a golf course open when we don’t have enough people utilizing it,” Fuentes said.
Public comments during the meeting overwhelmingly supported keeping Tri-Mountain as a golf course, with many expressing concerns that a sale could lead to its eventual closure.
“There should be no reason to sell this golf course,” BJ Square said. “You may not get an owner that’s going to be responsible. A lot of golf courses close because of negligent, incompetent ownership.”
Kyle McBride, who plays and works part-time at the course, urged the council to recognize its community value.
“Just last night, we had probably 30 high school girls out there getting ready for the season,” he said. “I know throughout the spring season there’s probably eight different high schools … that use the facility.”
The council instructed staff to move forward with finalizing a contract extension with Troon through 2026. Staff will present the finalized contract for council approval at next week’s meeting, ensuring an agreement is in place before the current one expires at the end of the month.
“It’s very important to our community,” Councilor Michelle Belkot said. “ ... I’ve had a couple of discussions with different community members about it staying and remaining a golf course, so that’s just very important to everybody.”
