The Bulletin continues a weekly Tee To Green feature in which we check in via email with golf professionals at Central Oregon courses for an offseason update. This week we contacted Alan Hoover, general manager at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville.

Hoover took over at Meadow Lakes in June for Lee Roberts, who retired this past spring after spending nine years at Prineville’s municipal golf course. The 50-year-old Hoover comes to Central Oregon from Colorado, where he spent a year as the head pro at Harvard Gulch Golf Course, a municipal facility in Denver. And it won’t take long for Hoover — a Portland native who grew up in Seattle — to make his mark at Meadow Lakes, which has some significant changes in store for 2012. This is what he had to say about the current business of golf and about his new home course:

Q: How was business in 2011?

A: It was down most of the year, but it is improving.

Q: Were any changes of note made to the facility during the last year?

A: Several bunkers were eliminated and the majority of the trees have been trimmed up, improving shot values throughout the course. Windmills were added to aerify the ponds (Meadow Lakes doubles as a wastewater treatment facility), which help to eliminate the odor that they sometimes produced. The junior golf program was overhauled to be more year-round and to get kids out on the course more during instruction. We also started our Baby Birdies program for kids ages 2 through 6. We also created the Family Association, where families could play golf during the early evening for $10 per person and play in family golf tournaments.

Q: Are any changes and/or improvements to the facility scheduled for 2012?

A: The entire facility will be getting a face-lift inside and out including the golf shop, dining room, bar, and banquet room. Changes will be made to the restaurant menu. On the course, three new forward tees and a championship tee are scheduled for construction. The driving range will be reconfigured with more targets and better sight lines. We also look forward to hosting more special events for the community.

Q: Has the Central Oregon golf industry started to bounce back from the economic struggles that have gripped the region since 2007?

A: I’ve only been here since June so I don’t know if I’m a qualified spokesperson, but I’d be hard-pressed to say the industry has bounced back anywhere.

Q: What more can be done to bring new golfers to the course?

A: Every golf industry trade magazine has different success stories and suggestions that cover a wide range of options to consider. Here in Prineville we have one of the best golf values in Central Oregon, but we all still need the economy to make an upturn.

Meadow Lakes Golf Course

Number of holes: 18

Status: Open year-round, weather permitting

Location: 300 S.W. Meadow Lakes Drive, Prineville

Tee times: 541-447-7113

Course stats: Par 72, 6,731 yards

Head golf professional: Alan Hoover

Course designer: Bill Robinson (1993)

Extras: Putting green, driving range, restaurant, pro shop

Website: www.meadowlakesgc.com