New pro shop at Paul Walker golf course
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A longtime building at Paul Walker Golf Course is set to be replaced as the City of Bowling Green moves forward with plans for a new pro shop.
City commissioners approved a municipal order authorizing negotiations after sealed bidding for reconstruction of the pro shop. The project was awarded to Sunbelt Construction, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $3,026,041.
The new facility will replace the existing pro shop, which has served golfers at the public course for many years.
Hayley Parrett, parks planner for the City of Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department, says the new building will modernize the course’s amenities while keeping many of the traditional features golfers expect.
“The new pro shop will give a new outlook for the Paul Walker Golf Course,” Parrett said. “It will include your traditional pro shop with office space, as well as a golf simulator room and an enclosed patio with the option to open garage doors for airflow.”
The project will also include a new cart barn with a golf cart lift so mechanics can service golf carts on site.
Construction is expected to begin this summer, but some preparation work will happen first. The city will use a demolition contractor to remove the current building, conduct testing and install temporary trailers so operations can continue during construction.
“We will be operating out of temporary trailers just a little ways away from the current building,” Parrett said. “So feel free to come out and still use Paul Walker Golf Course.”
The course itself will remain open throughout construction.
For some regular golfers, the upgrades are a welcome investment in the future of the course.
Zeek Noyce, a frequent player at Paul Walker, says the current building has clearly aged over time.
“This course is really nice. I think them getting a new pro shop is definitely needed,” Noyce said. “As you can tell, it’s on the older side, so I think it’s well worth the investment.”
Colton Ralston, another regular golfer at the course, says improvements like the new pro shop could benefit the broader community.
“We’re regulars out here,” Ralston said. “I think it’ll definitely help the community. More people will come here and play too.”
City officials say the project has been in the works for more than a year. Design for the building was completed during the previous fiscal year, and the current fiscal year focused on securing the construction bid.
Construction will continue into the next fiscal year.
Parrett says once the new pro shop is complete, the city could consider additional improvements to Paul Walker Golf Course in future budgets. The goal, she says, is to ensure the course continues serving Bowling Green golfers for years to come.
