Changes at Fox Hollow Golf Club boost business

Megan Wallgren | Lehi Free Press

Fox Hollow Golf Club is a place on the rise. After some difficult times, partly due to the 2020 pandemic, the municipal golf course is steadily turning a profit.

“We’re as busy as ever and people are having fun,” said Fox Hollow Golf Pro Jaxson Taylor. “We’ve done a lot of renovations to improve the facility. We’ve raised prices, but players see that we’re improving the golf course and understand why we’re doing it.”

The Fox Hollow Course, formerly Tri-City Golf Club, is funded and operated by a partnership of the cities of American Fork, Lehi and Pleasant Grove. Although municipal golf courses like Fox Hollow have been criticized in the past, Clark Taylor, a member of the American Fork City Council and Fox Hollow Board of Directors, says they are an asset to the community. “It brings people to town and is a showcase. People come from all over to play golf. They eat, fuel, shop and do business in the surrounding communities,” he said. “It’s also a great service to local residents. There are resident discounts and it’s one of the most affordable and beautiful courses in the county.”

Clark Taylor attributes many of the changes to the leadership of Jaxson Taylor. “JT has a tremendous passion, not only for the game, but for the course itself,” he said.

Jaxson Taylor said he has worked at Fox Hollow since he was 16, when he got a job working golf carts. Before that, as a kid, he fetched balls on the course. “I grew up down the street. The place has always meant a lot to me. The people have been great. I have the best support from the board and the towns. I love being associated with this place. It would be hard to leave,” he said.

Since turning professional in 2020, Taylor has made many changes. One change that visitors have noticed is the improved pro shop. “We’ve made the pro shop a one-stop shop,” he said. “We’ve introduced really nice apparel, shoes, clothing and equipment brands. We can outfit you. You can bring in clubs for repairs.”

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Another improvement is the snack bar. Jaxson’s mother, Lori Taylor, is a retired educator who loves to cook and has taken over the snack bar. “The food there is really good and we can prepare the food ourselves for tournaments, which is really helpful,” Clark Taylor said.

A new strip of artificial turf was recently installed on the driving range. “We have 42 driving boxes occupied and people waiting. All of this puts a strain on the grass and after a while you’re hitting dirt. This strip of artificial turf will be really nice to hit,” said Jaxon Taylor. The driving range is also one of the few in the area that is fully lit at night.

Proceeds were used to purchase new equipment such as lawn mowers and water filters to better maintain the course. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, golfers can now enjoy live scores and other digital improvements.

Guests have noticed and the course is busier than ever. Tee times can be booked online and around 70 percent of the courses are booked ten days in advance. The course staff book around 40 tournaments and around 40 corporate events or weddings in the clubhouse banquet hall each year.

The men’s club closed a few years ago due to low membership, but this year it has 215 members. “On Tuesday nights, we average 115 players. On Saturdays, we average 60 to 80 players,” Taylor said. “They’re also working on developing a women’s club.”

About 360 youth participated in golf camps this year run by the Lehi, American Fork and Pleasant Grove recreation programs. Lessons for adults and children are also available. Interested parties can register at www.foxhollowutah.com.

According to Taylor, the next major improvement Fox Hollow plans to make is improving parking.

“They’ve done so many beautiful things that are small but add up to make a big difference,” Clark Taylor said. “Now it’s a destination. People want to play there or have their organization represented in a tournament because it’s a beautiful place to play.”

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