Golfers in Ames will have one more venue to play when the 18-hole Coldwater Golf Links completes construction in spring 2003.

The 7,007-yard par 71 course is located on South 16th Street and runs along Squaw Creek. It will have several features, including two substantial lakes incorporated into its Scottish-style links design.

Legacy Golf Associates of Ames has been developing the project for approximately the last five years, partner Marvin Walter said. He said he is excited about the multi-million dollar project for several reasons, including the hiring of an exceptional architect, Tripp Davis and Associates, to design the course.

Davis, based in Dallas, Texas, has participated in over 25 projects across the country after Davis himself helped lead the University of Oklahoma golf team to the national championship in 1989.

Nieber Golf of Colorado Springs, Colo. is handling the construction duties, while local businesses will be engaged in plumbing and the purchase of building materials such as lumber and concrete.

Walter, an Ames resident since 1968 and chairman of a local real estate development company, said he and his partner at Legacy Golf, Scott Randall, had owned 105 acres in the area and were farming the ground. He said he knew there had to be a better way to put the ground to use because of its central location.

“By the same token, there’s only certain things that you can do with it, and a golf course is one thing that we thought would be very attractive and add an additional amenity to our community,” Walter said.

“A number of years ago, when the city commissioned an outsider to come in and do a study of the city, one of the things that study recommended is that that valley be turned into a green area . that would benefit everyone in the city,” Walter said. “This is a culmination of that idea.”

Walter said they leased an additional 50 acres from Iowa State to bring the total area of the course to 155 acres.

When completed, the course will be open to people of all ages and skill levels – from beginner to professional. In the future, Walter anticipates high-quality tournaments using Coldwater for their events – a prospect that should bring money into the community.

Walter said there will be a daily fee and Coldwater will not be a membership club. He said the fees have not been determined yet, but he wants to maintain a fairly modest charge that will attract a large portion of the community.

Walter said he has one main goal for the course.

“We hope its one of the best [courses] in the central part of the United States,” Walter said. “We have invested and have done some rather unique things in the golf course.”

Unique indeed.

Marvin said that Coldwater will mimic courses seen in Scotland, which are relatively free of trees.

“In addition, one of the concepts [in Scotland] is hitting onto platforms or hitting onto landing areas and our golf course will do that,” Walter said. “There will be a substantial amount of wetlands and rough area that you’ll want to keep the ball out of, but it will be a links-style approach. It offers golfers a different kind of challenge, a different type of opportunity to play the game.”

Walter said the course is not extremely hilly, allowing golfers to walk the course if they’d like. Another feature is the continuous concrete cart path which will let golfers play on wet days.

Tripp Davis and his company are equally pleased with Coldwater’s potential.

“The thing I’m most satisfied with about the Coldwater Golf Links project is that every hole is unique,” Davis said in a written statement. “A golfer will certainly not look down any fairway and feel like they have already played that hole.”

Coldwater will be the third 18-hole course in Ames when completed. Veenker Memorial and the Ames Golf and Country Club are the others in operation.

John Newton, golf course manager and superintendent at Veenker said he’s “very concerned” about the loss of business that will result from a new high-quality course in town. He’s not sure there are enough golfers in the area to keep attendance levels where they are now.

“Hopefully, we can attract as many good players as we can here,” Newton said. “I think it’s going to be difficult. We will lose some, we hope we don’t lose fifty percent.”

Newton said he hopes that Veenker’s tradition and relationship with Iowa State will carry them through. He said the best case scenario would see all three major courses prosper.

Walter said that he hopes to be set apart from those courses by having a special type of fine grass on the fairways that allows the ball to set up and be easier to play.

“One of the prime features of it is that we are going to have bent-grass fairways,” said Walter, who is working with Iowa State turf grass specialists for the project. “Bent-grass fairways are not common in this area, but they provide the good golfer with a real opportunity.”

Brian Maloy, a Iowa State alum and graduate of Gilbert High School, is the first employee to be hired by Coldwater, Walter said. Maloy had been an agronomist with the United States Golf Association (USGA) before deciding to come back to Ames. While employed by the USGA, he did extensive turf grass research. He will serve as Coldwater’s golf course superintendent.

Walter said he was also aware that his company must remain committed to the environmental demands as well. He said he’s worked with the City of Ames, as well as the Department of Natural Resources to help meet those requirements.

The Scottish-style approach also uses plenty of vegetation and filter strips, which worked right into the goals of the plan, Walter said.

The location of the course is also an exciting aspect.

Walter said when it’s completed, Coldwater will virtually be in the center of Ames, due to the city’s growth to the north and south.

“We think to have a golf course of this magnitude, of this quality almost in the center of your city is a very real opportunity,” Walter said. “We think we can draw people in from all around the city because of the location.”