Tribe buys Clarkston Golf and Country Club
Operations to continue as they did before the sale
A long-rumored sale of the Clarkston Golf and Country Club to the Nez Perce Tribe closed Friday for an undisclosed price.
The deal gives the tribe its first holding in the state of Washington and an opportunity to run an amenity with deep roots in the community.
The tribe plans to retain the country club’s employees and operate the golf course, restaurant and clubhouse as it has been, honoring previously-made reservations for events, according to a news release from the tribe.
The country club has been functioning as a private/public hybrid, with members and non-members allowed to play golf.
“Whatever policies they had in place prior to our purchase, it’s remaining the same,” tribe spokeswoman Kayeloni Scott said. “From my understanding, people who have a membership have more exclusive access to the entire club.”
The tribe plans to invest in the 18-hole golf course on 80 acres, but Friday’s news release doesn’t identify which projects will be priorities.
“We envision it to continue to be a top-flight golf course for generations to come,” said Shannon Wheeler, Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee chairman, in the news release.
The country club faced financial challenges and had struggled to bring in enough money to keep up with capital projects. Staff tried unsuccessfully to raise half a million dollars on the crowdsourcing website GoFundMe. The money would have paid to fix a leaky roof at the clubhouse, replace a broken mower, repay debt from repairing a swimming pool and purchase new restaurant and lounge furniture.
The tribe was interested in the club because of the historic significance of its land.
“The purchase of the country club provides the tribe with an economic footprint in the heart of its aboriginal territory,” according to the news release. “The Nez Perce people have a deep connection to this area of Washington, which was part of the original Nez Perce Reservation, which was reserved in the Nez Perce Treaty in 1855.”
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com.
