Bulletin staffAwbrey Glen Golf Club's signature par-3 13th hole.

This is the first installment of a weekly Tee To Green feature in which we check in via email with Central Oregon golf facilities for an offseason update. This week we contacted Mark Amberson, general manager at Awbrey Glen Golf Club in Bend.

Awbrey Glen has been aggressive this season with player development initiatives. This is what Amberson, who has worked for the private golf course since it opened in 1993, had to say about the current business of golf and about Awbrey Glen:

Q: How was business in 2014?

A: Awbrey Glen Golf Club had a great year in 2014. The golf course was in outstanding condition, our golf and social events were very well attended and we have had positive growth in our membership. We have focused our efforts on enhancing the member experience at Awbrey Glen by providing golf programs that are fun, instructional and competitive. We added fun events such as the junior golf palooza and family scrambles to encourage families to be more involved in the great game of golf. The introduction of our player development programs — including coaching clubs, Get Golf Ready programs, 10-yard challenge and more — focused on increasing member engagement, enjoyment of the game and the overall golf experience.

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

A: Yes. We started a multi-year process of top-dressing our green approaches and closely mown areas around the greens. The benefit of this is the overall quality and health of the turf and the ball is rolling farther. We also made some nice changes in our cart paths by changing the route on the 12th hole and addressing other areas of our cart paths.

Q: Are any changes and/or improvements to the facility scheduled for 2015?

A: We are constantly making minor changes and improvements to our facilities, such as working on tee boxes, changing mow lines to enhance playability, thinning trees, etc. We do not have any concrete plans at this point for a significant project next year, but we have started planning for the next phase of the golf course master plan done by David McLay Kidd.

Q: Much has been made about new initiatives to grow the game (FootGolf, 15-inch holes, speedgolf, etc.). What, if any, of those initiatives would you consider the most promising?

A: I believe they all have a place in growing the game at the right facility.

Q: Has your club either began to offer or does it plan to implement any of those initiatives?

A: At Awbrey Glen this past spring we opened the first FootGolf course in Central Oregon and enjoyed watching the foot golfers using it this past summer. The most dramatic change for us has been enhancing our five-hole par three course (the Loop) by adding an 8-inch cup to each green as well as the standard-size cup. This addition provides greater entertainment for families and golfers of all abilities as well as a refined practice experience.

— Reporter: 541-617-7868, zhall@bendbulletin.com.