Parker: The Board of Directors has a primary goal, to continue to provide value and create new benefits of being a member of the Oregon Trail Country Club. Members need to feel like it's worth their money to belong to this club. If you can do that, everything else takes care of itself.

NE: What's your best advice on how golfers can improve their game?

Parker: Take lessons, take lessons, take lessons. Find a Class A PGA Professional and set up golf lessons. I have been golfing my entire life and still routinely take lessons. After that, it truly is like most things in life — you get out of it what you put into it.

NE: What are some activities/tournaments the course is offering this summer?

Parker: The OTCC has some weekly recurring events that all are invited to. Each Tuesday morning is Men's League. Typically, a scramble format, where you play on a team. Wednesday evenings are Ladies Night, typically played in the same format as Men's League. For the beginning golfer, these are great activities to come get yourself introduced to the game and to the membership. No membership is required to participate.

NE: As course president, can you share how the Cedar View has become part of the course ownership and what does it offer?

Parker: The Cedar View and the OTCC have been connected since the Cedar View was constructed in 1956. (It was) originally built by Bill and Betty Poulsen. The OTCC actually agreed to lease Bill and Betty the property to build the Cedar View on, with enhancing member benefits in mind. There were lockers downstairs and the Cedar View became a popular hang-out for the members. Over the years, it transitioned more into a restaurant. 

Recently, the club had an opportunity to purchase the asset with the same mindset, to enhance member benefits. The Pro Shop has been moved inside the Cedar View building and now offers simple bar food and drinks. The Board of Directors has rented out the space to the public for weddings, baby showers, anniversary parties, etc. Members of the OTCC have reserved and used the space as a part of the benefits package of their membership. We hope one day with some renovations to be able to provide more value to our members, fully utilizing the entire building space.

NE: Can you explain the difference between a membership country club and open to public vs. public golf courses?

Parker: There are typically three types of golf courses. Private country clubs, access only granted with a membership. Often owned by corporations, where your membership doesn't provide you with anything more than access to the club and its amenities. Member-owned country clubs, this is the category the OTCC falls into. The OTCC is entirely owned by the members. Each one of our 250 capped members owns a share in the property. It is one of the benefits often forgot about. Each member has a stake in the OTCC. After that, you can decide whether to offer tee times to the public or not. The OTCC encourages outside play, but these players don't get the full benefits package of a member in good standing. Finally, you have the typically city owned public golf courses. No memberships available or additional benefits offered, besides a place to play golf.

NE: How has the course evolved over the years?

Parker: A few hundred years ago, wagon trains rolled through the property of the Oregon Trail Country Club. Today, you can still view the actual ruts of those trains. Many people come each summer just to snap a picture of the ruts, leaving without even swinging a club. We love showing off the history of our golf course. An errant tee shot on Hole No. 8 often stirs comments from your playing partners, "You didn't even clear the Oregon Trail."

Willow trees were planted in the '50s, lining all the fairways and now dwarf the golf course. The course has pivoted starting holes (and) pro shop locations from the original clubhouse, which used to be set behind now Hole No. 8's tee box.

NE: What are some struggles the course faces?

Parker: Cost. The same issues facing most everyone in America today. The cost of labor, equipment, fuel, utilities make it challenging to execute the fundamentals of our operations, without transferring all of that cost to the consumer.

NE: Do you feel golf is a growing sport?

Parker: Absolutely. Our course is as busy as it has ever been. The COVID pandemic stimulated golf nationwide. It was one of the activities that remained open, due to its outside nature. The country fell in love with golf during that period, and we have felt it in our rounds of play. Our membership ebbs and flows, with 250 members being the cap. We are quickly selling memberships again and will be entirely sold out before mid-summer.

NE: What does the future hold for Oregon Trail Country Club?

Parker: More value creation for our members. No different than a publicly traded company, if you can demonstrate enough value to the shareholders, everyone wants to invest. The OTCC has a lot of momentum right now. The future is very bright.