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FOR THE COURSEStory by Candace Allen Photography by Roger Wade BACK Martin Lind, owner of the Pelican Lakes Golf Course and Country Club, built his clubhouse from logs in honor of the region's pioneering tradition. "I love the warmth and feel of a log structure," he says. Martin
became particularly intrigued by log building one winter. While
riding his snowmobile that season, he would pass the logyard of
handcrafter Log Knowledge, Inc. Log homes would appear along the
highway, and a few days later disappear. Fascinated by the vanishing
homes, he stopped in and started asking questions. He was so impressed
with what he learned that he selected Log Knowledge to design and
build the clubhouse. Construction went smoothly though the building crew had to work long hours to meet the deadline, particularly during the last two weeks. It was late November, and Christmas parties had been scheduled for the club's banquet hall. "When people walked through we'd overhear them say, 'No way this place is getting done,' but that was the motivation for us," project manager Ron Moore says. "At the last minute, we got the certificate of occupancy." The club opened December 3, 1998, the day of its first scheduled holiday party. The golf course is part of the Water Valley subdivision Martin developed on a reclaimed mining site 50 miles north of Denver. The club was named after the four manmade Pelican Lakes that separate the course from the community. After a day of competition on the 72-par course, golfers can share a beverage on the deck of the clubhouse and watch the sun set over Habitat Lake and the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Looking south from the pro shop, they see the Cache La Poudre River wind its way around the golf course. The design of the clubhouse is a function of the building site and its surroundings. Initially, the site was as flat as a driving range. One day Martin brought in a forklift placed a pallet on it, climbed aboard and raised the lift to the optimal height for the best views.
From the pro shop, Martin wanted to see the first tee, ninth green, 10th tee and 18th green. From the restaurant, he wanted views of the mountains and lakes. With that in mind, Log Knowledge's designer, Jerry Kommrusch, created a unique two-prow design that takes advantage of the panoramic views and passive solar heat. Guests enter the 12,300 square-foot clubhouse from the porte-cochere. Inside the lobby, the focal point is the natural stonework of the see-through gas fireplace that also opens on the lounge. The granite comes from a quarry near Vail and is a rainbow of colors: Pink, black, blue and green. Martin is proud of the natural stonework. "A lot of people are using cultured stone," he says, "but anyone who walks in here knows this is real." Accents of native granite and flagstone tie together the interior and exterior. Outside, stones wrap around the bottom third of the posts of the porte-cochere. Inside, a stone inlay ribbons through the slate tile floor of the lobby, smooth natural stone tops counters and a half wall of rock separates the bar from the lobby. One side of the lobby leads up a stairwell and split-log steps to a meeting room complex. The other side leads through the full-service pro shop and into Hogan's Restaurant and Saloon. The restaurant, which is open to the public, has become so popular that plans are in progress to expand the restaurant into the pro shop, which will move into a new building accessible by a catwalk. Hogan's is also a good place to take in the beauty of the building's handcrafted, hand-peeled logs, which are highlighted by chinking. The Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine logs average a grand 12-inch mid-span diameter and are alternatively stacked top to butt to maintain wall evenness. They run the full length of the walls and are not marred by butt-joint splices. At the corners, each log is scribed and notched to fit over the log below, creating a tight-fitting saddle-notched corner. Above,
heavy log trusses and double purlins give the club a solid feel,
while the open vaulted ceilings add spaciousness. All the ceilings
are tongue-and-groove, including more than 2,000 square feet of
ceilings that extend over the decks.
Ducts for the heating and air conditioning system, painted to match the logs, are left exposed, simplifying the finishing process. Their curves and swoops add a striking design element. The
lower level features locker rooms, banquet facilities for 150 guests,
a dance floor, a snack bar and a granite The wood-Douglas Fir- had been submerged for 100 years and is essentially pickled. It was salvaged from the 12-mile long trestle at the Lucien Cutoff where the Southern Pacific Railroad made its first run across the Great Salt Lake in 1904. The high salt and mineral content of the lake created vibrant shades of yellow, orange, black, gray, purple and green in the wood. "The colors are wild," Martin says. Outside, the lower level is faced with granite. Like the masonry of the fireplaces, these stones are the real thing. Their natural beauty is a pleasure to look at while sitting on the patio or swimming in the junior Olympic-sized pool. Martin has been so pleased with the log clubhouse that he is continuing the log theme in a 20,000-square-foot commercial development currently under construction adjacent to the clubhouse. Members and patrons of the semi-private club just love it, Martin says. "It's the neatest facility in northern Colorado-very different and very warm. For a country club, it doesn't have that marbly snooty look. It makes you want to take off your shoes, relax and have a glass of wine." -- |
Later,
he ordered several tons of fill to raise the ground to that optimal
level. 
fireplace
that chases up to the hearth on the main floor. Custom lockers are
built of wood reclaimed from an old trestle. The same reclaimed
wood is used for the paneling and cabinetry throughout the clubhouse
and on the floor of the pro shop.