GOLF COURSE BUILDERS VISIT

Fidel J. "Phil" Garcia and John Daugherty had their first look at the site of the new Prestwick Plantation golf course Monday.

It won't be their last.

Garcia, vice president of Ryangolf, and Daugherty, field operations manager for the Florida golf construction company, were impressed with the 770-acre site alongside Bloomfield Road in Cape Girardeau.

"It's a fantastic site," said Garcia. "It looks like it was made for a golf course."

Daugherty added, "With this kind of space, you can fit the course into the lay of the land."

Garcia and Daugherty will soon bring the Ryangolf construction crew into Cape Girardeau to get things under way on the new Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

"This is a big day for Prestwick and Cape Girardeau," said Cord Dombrowski of the Prestwick group. "This is the day we selected the golf construction company to build a 27-hole golf course."

Six Nicklaus-approved golf construction companies submitted bids about two months ago, Dombrowski said.

"We started planning for this in 1998," he said. "In recent months we have cleared and staked 20-foot centers for all 27 golf holes."

Clearing and ground work are under way for the maintenance shed, a 10,000-square-foot building to be completed in 120 days.

Ryangolf, headquartered at Deerfield Beach, Fla., will use the maintenance facility for its headquarters.

Garcia, Daugherty, Dombrowski and Mark McDowell toured the acreage Monday.

"Once we get our crews in here, we'll start shaping and finishing the first 18 holes," said Daugherty. "During the winter, the underground crews will install irrigation facilities."

Earthwork will start next spring on the final nine holes, with irrigation work to be completed the following winter.

"The course should be ready for grand opening by April of 2002," said Dombrowski.

The golf course will be the centerpiece of a gated environment to include condominiums, villas, riding stable, tennis courts and a swimming pool.

Ryangolf has moved dirt since the late 1800s, starting in the business of building railroad embankments. Originally headquartered in Wisconsin, the company built its first golf course for the Playboy Club at Lake Geneva, Wis.

"We've been building golf courses ever since," said Garcia.

Ryangolf is a division of Ryan Inc. Eastern.