PORT LUDLOW — Port Ludlow’s 18-hole golf course overlooking Ludlow Bay is on the market for $3.5 million.
The decision to eventually sell was certain to Port Ludlow Associates from “day one,” PLA President Diana Smeland said. PLA purchased the property in 2001 and decided to list the course with real estate broker Michael Armanious in April, she said.
Smeland said no serious inquiries have been made yet but she also doesn’t expect to sell this year.
“We’re looking for a value offer, not a quick sale,” she said.
In the meantime, Port Ludlow Associates will continue improving drainage and turf conditions, cart paths and bunkers.
When completed, the renovations will cost about $2 million, said Randy Verrue, managing member of Port Ludlow Associates.
“There’s no guarantee of a buyer, so we’re moving ahead as if there is none,” Smeland said.
She said Port Ludlow Associates possesses no interest in selling the course to a buyer who intends to build houses on the property, and it’s difficult to imagine those rolling green hills being used for a purpose other than golf.
“I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be [a golf course],” she said. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Verrue hopes to pass off the course to someone who appreciates the game, he said in an email.
Similarly, Smeland said: “We feel it is a valuable asset to the community and hope that the next owner feels the same way.”
For now, the course’s members and golfers likely won’t experience any change.
“We continue to work the land the same as the day before,” Smeland said. She has been working with the property for more than 28 years.
If a new owner took the course, Port Ludlow would hope for a seamless transition for its members and employees, she added.
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Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.