Windward Hills Country Club was sold on July 18 to Agora Guam LLC for "close to $10 million."
David Su manager for the Windward property for Royal Orchid Guam "" which has secured the sales and marketing management contract at the golf course in Yona "" said the sale price was "slightly below" $10 million.
Agora Guam LLC’s manager for the Windward property is Tiffany Wang representing ownership interests from Japan and San Francisco which purchased the property from Windward Hills Country Club Inc.
Su vice president of Manhattan Inc. which does business as Royal Orchid; told the Journal the relationship between Windward Hills and Royal Orchid "" a golf resort and a hotel "" was a logical one in what was fast becoming an industry trend on Guam. "It’s a perfect match between a hotel and a golf course. It’s a saving in overheads on reservations guest services and accounting."
(For example as the Journal first reported Onward Kashiyama Co. Ltd. parent company of the Onward Beach Resort purchased the Talofofo Golf Resort now the Onward Golf Resort on Oct. 28 2005. Starts Guam Golf Resort is to build on-course homes within its property.)
Agora plans to redesign the Windward course. "We will upgrade "" we are going to come up with a new concept " Su said.
The course would not close initially but Su said all the holes would likely be redesigned and a signature hole developed. "We are bringing a new product to Guam. We are looking at a new name."
Similarly fixtures such as the clubhouse would be re-examined he said. "Agora plans to upgrade the course build a new clubhouse and develop fairway-side villas and condos for rent and sale "¦ probably a 60-unit condo."
Royal Orchid would provide the banquet and catering services at the golf course he said.
Su said guests at the Royal Orchid were interested in playing golf while on-island. "There is high interest both from Asian guests and the military. We do have a lot of golf packages also with Windward." The course would continue to target the military he said. "Windward is only 6.2 miles from Big Navy. That’s very close."
The investment was indicative of confidence in the market Su said. "The next five to ten years will be very robust."
The oldest course on Guam the 18-hole Windward Hills opened in 1951. In 1983 there was an attempt to sell shares in the property and develop it and an adjacent property as the Intraterra Golf & Country Club. The principals of Intraterra were G.A. "Pat" Burke (deceased) Bert Unpingco former general manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau and Richard J. Untalan. The property was then purchased by Soichi Takayama and renamed the Takayama Golf & Country Club. The course was renamed in 1995 as Windward Hills. MBJ
