ST, LOUIS COUNTY - After more than 50 years of operation, the family-owned Tower Tee driving range and par-3 golf course will close July 1, 2018. Tower Tee owner Steve Lotz said after months of uncertainty, it’s a feeling of relief.
“Today it all kind of coalesced into a meeting of the minds where we feel like a win, win, win was created,” said Lotz.
The 28-acre site is owned by Tegna, the parent company of KSDK and was put up for sale during the summer. Real estate brokerage CBRE had a listed price of $4.77 million. McBride Berra Land Company LLC in partnership with J.H. Berra Construction had the winning bid for the property and plans to build The Arbors at Tower Tee, a single family subdivision with over 150 homes. Tower Tee approached KSDK about the possibility of purchasing the 27-acre property, but Lotz’ offer was lower than the broker’s opinion of the value of the land.
“We think that what’s going to happen to the Tower Tee property is the best thing that could happen to it if Tower Tee is not there,” said Lotz. “We feel that the infrastructure, the schools of Affton will benefit. We feel that the creation of jobs and housing is a positive thing.”
Lotz’ grandfather Roy Lotz built the Tower Tee complex on Heege Road in 1963 on the site of a former brickyard. Roy Lotz’s son Dick eventually took over, followed by his son, Steve.
“At nine years old I was pulling bricks out of the ground before we developed the place,” said Lotz. “I worked there as a child and learned how to play golf there like a lot of people. The journey has been wonderful. If my dad Dick were alive today, he and I would have supper tonight and smile.”
During the summer, KSDK and Tower Tee mutually agreed to go month to month on the lease when it expired in October with a mutual 60-day notice of termination. Monday an agreement was reached that will keep the golf facility open until July 1. Lotz said that will allow Tower Tee customers time to enjoy the facility before it closes.
“McBride will actually be providing some promotional things at the facility where certain times a day customers can hit free, sponsored by McBride between now and July.”
Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the TEGNA Foundation, a corporate foundation sponsored by TEGNA Inc. that supports nonprofit activities in the 38 markets where TEGNA operates, including St. Louis.
