Bay Hotel

In the Beginning….. Fairfield Bay was energized by Fairfield Communities, Inc., a real estate developer, advertising widely into America’s heartland and inviting people to stay 3 days & 2 nights in a resort in order to sell property and time-shares. For this purpose, FCI built many condos such as Fairways, Chelsea and Shadow Ridge for temporary lodging. FCI was very successful and went on to other, more diverse venues across the country. Then FCI filed bankruptcy. The condos were committed to timeshare or sold to individuals and eliminated the availability of mass “rental” lodging. A Convention Center that drew around 30,000 people a year to the Bay was sold and never redeveloped. Since then, visitors wishing to experience Fairfield Bay’s terrific amenities have had to find the occasional house or condo on a rental management program or stay with family or friends, or stay in Clinton’s Super8 and drive 15 miles each way.

The Community Club has for years been seeking a hotel to again provide temporary lodging for Bay guests coming for golf and tennis tournaments, corporate retreats or for vacations.

The long-term goal of bringing visitors to Fairfield Bay is to encourage new permanent residents, new homebuilding and growing Club membership. This managed growth will build a financial foundation for the Bay to change the trend of increasing dues to support our amenities by a limited number of members. This goal does not seek to change the character of the Bay to become a small Branson or another Eureka Springs, but simply to grow large enough to support restaurant and recreation venues in sufficient quantity & quality to satisfy the needs of our residents and visitors.

The Community Club is pleased that with the support of the membership, the city and our local businesses, we are close to groundbreaking for the Fairfield Bay Resort Hotel. The opening will be a major step in sharing the magic of Fairfield Bay with the world.

Hotel News!

In the CC Board meeting of March 24th, the Board approved the formation of a Hotel Advisory Committee, headed by Board member Bob Berdine, that began a detailed feasibility study toward the opening of a hotel next to the Indian Hills Country Club.

There is a timeline involved, in which a diverse, skilled group of planners evaluated all aspects of establishing a hotel and determining its financial viability. The planning committee included the city, the business community, construction management and architectural designers.

One of the most important tasks of the committee was to communicate with the membership about what was learned in each step along the timeline. The undertaking was very complex and required all committee members to work positively together, reporting frequently to the Board who will in turn reported to the membership through internet, newspaper and town hall meeting venues.

A “Yes” vote was reported at the Community Club Annual Meeting July 16, 2009 on changes in the Covenants and Restrictions to allow gas drilling,  provided the Club with a significant revenue stream totaling $1.5 million, a part of which can fund the debt service for the first 3 years of operation of the hotel without asking members for additional dues.

On October 22, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the rezoning of approx 16 acres near the Indian Hills Country Club from residential to commercial, paving the way for further progress in construction of the lodge.

Dick Carpenter, Election Committee Chairman, announced the election results of the ballot initiative for approval of proceeding with the hotel project.  Voting Yes were: 2,277 votes.  Voting No were:  805 votes.

The Community Club Board met with the Hotel Team on January 14, 2010 and after a careful review of the opportunity to franchise with the Wyndham organization, the decision was made to stay independent and use the significant franchise fee costs to fund a more focused marketing program. Our architect has prepared new and more Bay-friendly exterior and interior designs that will prepare our contractor to move forward with ground breaking as soon as possible. The Grand Opening is still scheduled for 2011.

On April 27, a Town Hall meeting was held to display the latest architect’s drawings and explain the process to date. Invitations to bid were sent to a number of construction companies and the results were opened on Wednesday, April 28th. After consideration of many factors, the hotel team recommended to the Board that C. R. Crawford Co. of Springdale, AR be selected as the contractor. The winning bid was slightly under $5 million for the hotel structure, with a total of $6.8 million identified as the total project cost, including a $500,000 contingency reserve.

With this estimated cost in mind, the Board has worked to finalize the last major part of the equation, financing.  Up until June 2010, the national economic situation has caused area banks to shy away from offering financing to a hotel project. During June, team and Board members met with representatives of the US Dept of Agriculture, which through its rural improvement programs, offered to guarantee 70% of the financing. This has renewed interest by the banks, but the paperwork will no doubt take longer than a normal loan arrangement.

The Board feels this project, especially given the time and money already spent, is so critical to the long-term success of Fairfield Bay that it wants to proceed with groundbreaking as soon as this new financing approach can be put together. Further news will be made available as soon as possible.

FFB Social Media Sweepstakes: Win an Odyssey Crimson Series 660 Putter!!

Attention Golfers:
How would you like to win a brand new Odyssey Crimson Series 660 Putter?  Well, here’s your opportunity!  Best of all, there are two ways to enter! That’s right, double your chances of winning by entering both ways!!!

• Enter on Facebook: Become a Fan of Fairfield Bay, Arkansas on Facebook and we will enter your name into the drawing.
• Enter on Twitter: By following @FairfieldBayAR and retweet the following tweet: [retweet this link: http://www.tinyurl.com/ffbsms1 & follow @FairfieldBayAR for a chance to win an Odyssey Crimson Series 660 Putter.  #golf]

At the end of the term we will throw all of the entries from Facebook and Twitter into a hat and pull out a winner!  Here’s the best part, even if you do not win this drawing, your name will remain in the hat and automatically be entered in our next drawing…

Indian Hills Hires New Golf Professional

The Fairfield Bay Community Club has hired Brady Fennel as the new Golf Professional at Indian Hills Country Club.  Below you will find Brady’s bio…

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My wife Whitney and I are very excited about the opportunity here in Fairfield Bay at Indian Hills Country Club. Indian Hills Golf Course is a great layout and offers all golfers a chance to enjoy the “Natural” surroundings and challenge themselves to a true test of golf. I am very enthusiastic to get started and fill the role as Head Golf Professional. We are also very much looking forward to being a part of such a great community!

I am originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas and moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 2006 to attend Florida Gulf Coast University and study Professional Golf Management. Prior to attending FGCU, I attended the University of Arkansas and was a member of the golf team in 2004. I completed the Professional Golf Management program at FGCU in December 2009 and graduated with a B.S. Degree in Professional Golf Management. I am a class “A” PGA Member and have since continued my education with the PGA of America and am now a Certified PGA Professional in Instruction. I am also a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified Golf Fitness Instructor.

I have always had a passion for helping others with their golf game and have studied the swing in great detail. My philosophy states, the golf swing is a physical motion that can be repeated efficiently using the bigger muscles in the body. Golf is a game of patience and swing changes take time and effort to accomplish and see positive results. I really enjoy working with students of all abilities. I offer many different opportunities for instruction including private lessons, clinics, playing lessons, and video lessons. I will do anything possible to educate my students and help them grow as a player.

I have had the privilege to work at many great facilities in Arkansas, Illinois, and Florida. The knowledge I have gained from my experiences are vast in respect to the overall golf operation. At my current facility, I have played a very active role in the development of the tournament program offering many different types of events for all players. Along with tournaments, merchandising is a big part of the golf operation and I am excited about exploring new product lines to offer in the golf shop. Lastly, I am very passionate about the game and I am looking forward to improving the overall golf operation at Indian Hills Country Club.

Fairfield Bay Hotel Marketing Plan

You may download the Fairfield Bay Hotel Marketing Plan by clicking on the link below.  To view or print this file you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader.  You can download this application at http://adobe.com.

• Hotel Marketing Plan August 11, 2009

Updated Bay View Pool Is Open!

Nothing says “summer” like a refreshing dip in a nice swimming pool. The Bay View Pool is the Club’s signature summer amenity. It begins with an early bird lap swim, followed by water aerobics for the adults, opening up to family fun at 11 am. The location, at one of the most scenic points of the Club’s common property, has always been awe-inspiring.

The GOOD NEWS is that under the guidance of Recreation Director Sheryl Paxton, the renovation of the pool and its surrounding areas is complete.The BV pool area features a new children’s pool with a water spray feature that will delight toddlers and adults alike. The “kiddie” pool will has a gradual walk-in entry (no steps) for a safer access.  The concrete decking around the pool is concrete, stained to appear like flagstone, and looks terrific. A composite sundeck will be built on the south side of the pool this fall to give a fantastic view of Greers Ferry Lake. The landscaping has been redone to help update the adjacent Bay View Club building, which is an adjunct to the pool, offering sandwiches and beverages.The pool area has been designated as “NON-SMOKING” for the preservation of the grounds and protection of the pool users.

The Board is proud to offer this refurbished amenity as part of the rebirth of Fairfield Bay and as a part of the Club’s strategic plan to bring back the glory days of the 70’s when FCI presented the Bay to America as the destination resort/retirement community of the future. While FCI went on to develop additional locations nationwide, the Bay will always be the first. We think it is still the best for owners wanting a combination of tranquil living and resort entertainment.