DeBell clubhouse opens stylishly

NORTH BURBANK — City officials and residents celebrated the opening of the new clubhouse at DeBell Golf Club on Monday, sipping drinks at a new bar and admiring the building’s modern combination of craftsman-style decor and flat-screen TVs.

The two-story building, which includes a pro shop, restaurant, bar and private meeting room, impressed visitors at a dedication ceremony where officials marketed the site as a modern golfing destination that is affordable and open to the public.

“The facility before was such a disaster,” said City Manager Mike Flad, adding that the former clubhouse, which stood at the same site, was characterized by many visitors as an eyesore.

“It’s a beautiful facility that we can be proud of, instead of an embarrassment,” he said.

But the cost of the development was a concern for some residents, who appreciated the quality of the clubhouse and the serene atmosphere of the surrounding golf course but questioned a price tag that inflated since it was initially approved by the City Council in 2007.

The clubhouse project, which included a redeveloped parking lot and infrastructure modifications, was initially estimated at $6.77 million but had a final total of about $9.4 million, said Phillip Clifford a private developer and manager of the project.

It opened 18 months after the council approved the development.

The cost ballooned from original projections as construction expenses increased and residents pressed to have the new clubhouse built on the footprint of the old, deteriorating building, which was located on more challenging topography, Clifford said.

If the city had chosen to build the clubhouse on the club’s parking lot across the street, instead of on the current site, it would have saved money in costs for temporary office facilities to keep the course functional and avoided engineering challenges presented by the location of the old building, Clifford said.

“I hope it works,” said Burbank resident Mike Vincent, who was worried about the cost increases of the project, which were approved by the council. “I mean, the concern is that we’re in an economically depressed time, and the golf business is part of it.”

But officials are confident the new site will attract enough business to recover expenses, in the form of golf tournaments, product sales and restaurant business, said Janice Bartolo, deputy director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

The club, which has lower fees than most comparable courses, including Rancho Park Golf Club in Los Angeles and Wilson Municipal Golf Course at Griffith Park, charges residents less than $40 for greens fees and rentals and under $45 for nonresidents, said Scott Scozzala, who manages the pro shop and clubhouse.

The new clubhouse, with its modern feel and hillside views, will likely draw more tournament bookings and visitors, Scozzala said.

“It’s something that you don’t normally see for a public golf course that charges the type of greens fees that we do,” Scozzala said of the quality of the building. “To have a clubhouse like this, this is a huge asset and benefit for the city.”

 ZAIN SHAUK covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.