Hazeltine National Golf Club is adding a members-only “performance center” to its expansion plans in Chaska, the latest planned amenity designed to make the already-prominent golf course an even bigger magnet for major events.
Hazeltine will go before the Chaska Planning Commission on Wednesday with a concept plan for the 9,000-square-foot performance center near Hundertmark Road and Hazeltine Boulevard, a 13-acre site on the northwestern part of the golf course’s 335-acre property.
A city staff report reveals that the new building will offer “multiple indoor-outdoor simulator/hitting bays, an indoor putting and chipping area as well as a small dining and lounge component.”
The performance center is a new addition to previously discussed expansion plans. In May, the golf course went to the planning commission with plans for a 10-hole “short course,” a new putting course and eight four-bedroom “villas” on part of the 13-acre expansion site, which is currently used for large event parking.
Already a go-to place for high-profile golf tournaments, Hazeltine is counting on the performance center and other new amenities to make the course even more desirable for events such as the Ryder Cup and Women’s PGA Championship, and to improve Chaska’s standing as a “highly desired golf destination,” according to the staff report.
Hazeltine is tentatively scheduled to return to the city in July for preliminary approval of the performance center and final approved for the villas, short course, and putting course, Liz Hanson, Chaska senior planner, said Monday.
Hanson said she’s not sure about the construction timeline for the performance center, but villa construction could begin this summer.
“They do want to get the villas going and the short course graded out,” she said.
The plan would leave the golf course with 355 parking spaces, including 128 existing spots in the main parking lot adjacent to the clubhouse and 227 spaces in a proposed new parking lot north of the proposed performance center, according to the staff report.
Among other changes, the performance center would be accessible via a new entrance proposed at the east end of Hazeltine Boulevard.
Access to the course was a big topic at the May 20 City Council meeting.
City staff recommended combining the main entrance and east service entry to a single location to “limit confusion and vehicle conflicts with access to the city street,” but the applicant didn’t believe that was necessary because one access is “minimally used,” according to the minutes of the May 20 meeting.
Phil Anderson, general manager for Hazeltine, told the council that multiple entries are important to serve guests, members and service vehicles.
“We’ve got multiple trucks coming in that are different than what we want coming in through the gatehouse with our member and guest entrance. We have buses, we have teams coming in. Having multiple points of entry is important to us,” Anderson said.
With the understanding that the city would continue to work with Hazeltine on the access issue, the council approved a preliminary site plan and building plan.
Council Member Jon Grau said he appreciates Hazeltine and its “continued investment” in Chaska.
“I’m confident that everything will work out and it’ll continue to be a world-class facility,” Grau said at the May 20 meeting.
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