It has signed a 99-year lease with Tioga Recreation Association for the Tioga Country Club. Weather permitting, Tioga Downs plans to open the golf course for the 2017 season on Saturday under the name Tioga Golf Club.
Tioga Downs signed the lease as it “continues to evolve into a destination resort,” the business said in a news release issued Wednesday. Aside from its length, the company didn’t release additional terms of the lease agreement.
Tioga Downs has already started construction work on a new clubhouse at the golf course at 151 Roki Boulevard in Nichols in Tioga County.
The business demolished the existing clubhouse to make room for a new structure. It will include a new dining location, a pro shop, locker rooms, and banquet space.
During the construction period, Tioga Golf Club will accommodate guests with a temporary structure that will house registration and check-in, a pro shop, and a section for snacks and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages.
Beverage service will also be available on the course.
The club is also getting all new E-Z Go golf carts, which will be available in the beginning of May, Tioga Downs said.
Bob Taylor, manager of golf operations, will remain in his current position at the new Tioga Golf Club.
“The changes Tioga Downs is making at the club are going to raise the quality of the overall experience for guests. I’m excited to be a part of the growth and positive changes this will bring to Nichols,” Taylor said in the release.
Besides the golf course, Tioga Downs says construction continues on its 161-room hotel and event center. The venue’s casino, which opened in December, includes 944 new slot machines, 23 table games, and a 12-table poker room.
“We’re looking forward to the completion of the hotel project in the late fall,” Scott Freeman, president and general manager of Tioga Downs, said in the release. “It’s the final piece that will transform the property into a full-scale resort destination.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
VISUAL CREDIT: Tioga Golf Club website