Many businesses put on an impressive song and dance about their commitment to the community. They talk about community focus as part of their institutional mission, and tell us they exist to serve their neighbors. But with a quick glance behind the curtain, these promises often dissolve into nothing more than rhetoric and illusion.

Sometimes, however, you find an organization that truly and humbly personifies the community-based business ideal, living out a promise to help its community evolve in a particular area. Fore Seasons Golf Complex in Terre Haute, Ind., is one such organization.

Fore Seasons exudes a grassroots commitment to the golfers -- and the people in general -- of western Indiana. "The owners wanted to build a facility that would give back to the community," says Jon Holloway, general manager of Fore Seasons and PGA professional. "We wanted to give golfers a place to develop, juniors a place to learn the game, and families a place to enjoy recreation together." Through its thoughtful development and business approach, Fore Seasons manages to do all of that and more.

TAKE TWO
Opened in July 2007, Fore Seasons is a fairly new facility on paper. Its heritage, though, dates back more than 15 years. Fore Seasons' owner, CMP Midwest Properties, already managed a driving range and golf course on the same site that houses Fore Seasons today. After a long, hard look at the former facility, the company decided change was in order.

"The owners had bigger dreams for the property," Holloway says, "so they tore down the existing facility and built a new one." The original facility was built in 1992, then torn down in February 2007. Approximately six months later, in July 2007, Fore Seasons was born to help CMP Midwest Properties fulfill its dream.

The vision was to be the hub for golf training and recreation in the area. "Fore Seasons is where golf begins in Terre Haute," Holloway says. "That's kind of our mantra."

Holloway adds that a driving mission at Fore Seasons is to attract and train current and potential golfers, helping them advance in the game and move on to patronize other courses and facilities throughout the area. By giving golfers the right start and the proper training to improve, the facility helps promote the overall growth and health of the game.

If you need more evidence of the facility's dedication to golf in Indiana, look no further than Holloway's resume. Prior to his current role, he served as director of golf for the city of Terre Haute. His goal is to promote the growth and health of the game in and around the area. That experience, combined with the fact that he owned another local golf range named Bogey's, caught CMP's eye. "We reached an agreement and formed a team," Holloway says. Together, that team created the concept, designed the new facility and oversaw the construction process.

FOR GOLFERS
The crown jewel of Fore Seasons is Indiana's only climate-controlled, automated, double-deck tee structure. Featuring equipment from Range Servant, the structure offers 24 total hitting stations on the two levels. The bottom level includes five automated stations and seven manual ones, as well as lights for night play, fans, gas heaters and roll-up doors. Holloway adds that the ball shooter system is the state's first as well. The top level includes an area for hosting birthday parties, corporate outings and other outdoor events.

Alongside the structure, another 12 artificial tee stations plus 12 natural grass tees ensure that Fore Seasons' golfers have options when it comes to both style and surface. Bucket prices are $4 for 30 balls and $6 for 60 balls. A natural grass practice green, for both putting and chipping, and a practice bunker also are nearby.

Further demonstrating the facility's community dedication, the tee structure is named the Travis J. Smith Memorial Driving Range in memory of a 19-year-old local golf phenom who was killed in a car accident in January 2007. In doing so, Fore Seasons not only honors Smith's memory, but also demonstrates its commitment to junior golf. (See sidebar for more information on Travis Smith.)

For those ready to move their game from the range to the course, Fore Seasons offers Trinity Golf Course, an 18-hole executive course measuring 2,652 yards. It features three par-4 and 15 par-3 holes in a variety of lengths that challenge golfers to hit different clubs throughout the round.

Beyond Trinity's fairways, light rough and occasional Scottish-style heather wait to swallow errant shots. Sixty 1,000-watt lights wash the course in plenty of light for golfers to keep playing until 11 p.m., when Trinity closes. Beverage service also is available. For nine holes, adult players pay $5 to walk or $10 to ride. For 18 holes, it's $10 to walk or $15 to ride. But for junior golfers, $5 gets walking or riding privileges for the entire day.

In the event of bad weather, players may still get in some "real" swings on Fore Seasons' indoor golf simulator from Interactive Sports. It offers the chance to play more than a dozen of the world's most famous courses, including Pebble Beach, Harbour Town, Kiawah's Ocean Course and Banff Springs. In addition to having a good time, golfers gain valuable feedback from 10 different data features such as launch angle and clubhead speed. The $25-per-hour cost may be split by up to four golfers, with the typical round requiring about 90 minutes. "It's really state-of-the-art," Holloway says. "Patrons enjoy it."

Should golfers find themselves spending too much time in Trinity's heather or Pebble Beach's simulated shoals, all they need to do is head back to the pro shop and sign up for a lesson (or a series of lessons, depending on exactly how badly it went) with Holloway and his staff. Lessons are available by appointment throughout the week and on weekends, either individually or in groups, with special clinics for beginners. Again, significant discounts provide added incentive for juniors. Fore Seasons also runs a series of camps each summer with the local Boys and Girls Club to provide a healthy, fun way for kids to pass the days. A number of additional junior programs help keep newcomers hooked on the game.

Other golf services at Fore Seasons include custom clubfitting and repair, league play, and group outings and events.

FOR EVERYONE
While the golf at Fore Seasons is great, the facility's reach extends far beyond the game alone. Local citizens and families also flock to enjoy the facility's many recreational offerings.

Among the most popular attractions, Holloway says, is Eagle Mountain Miniature Golf. This indoor, blacklight mini golf course from Halloween Productions -- only the ninth of its kind in the United States -- features a hand-painted jungle theme and life-sized animals that include a rhino, an elephant and a lion.

An 18-hole round costs $6; an additional round costs only $4. Groups of 10 or more may play for $4 each.

"Eagle Mountain has been an extremely popular attraction, and not just for the kids," Holloway says. "Parents, grandparents, senior citizens -- they all really enjoy it as well. And it's great for birthday parties."

Speaking of birthday parties, Fore Seasons has a booming business hosting these celebrations. A large party room can accommodate 70 guests as is, or be split into two smaller rooms to host up to 30 each. Located near Eagle Mountain Mini Golf and the facility's popular game room (featuring an arcade, darts and billiards), the party room is well situated for action.

A cost of $7.95 per child buys each one an hour in the party room as well as a round of mini golf, a slice of pizza, a beverage, a dish of ice cream, a place setting and a coupon to be used on the child's next visit to the facility. Additional amenities -- another round of mini golf, a bucket of balls, a lesson, more time in the party room, an hour in the simulator -- are available on a discounted, a la carte basis.

Fore Seasons also boasts a 160-seat, full-service pub and restaurant, named Mulligans. Though golfñthemed and offering great views of the range and course, Mulligans stands alone as a community culinary and social destination with full lunch and dinner offerings, daily food and drink specials, multiple televisions, and live entertainment each night of the weekend.

"Mulligans is a great draw beyond our normal patrons," Holloway says. "A lot of nongolfers come here. It's great at driving more patrons to the facility."

MARKET FORCES
As the name hints, Fore Seasons Golf Complex operates year-round, thanks to the climate of western Indiana. "We really have all four seasons here, and not much snow," Holloway says. "Other courses in the area open in March and close in December, but this is a year-round facility for us -- hence the name."

Even when the weather turns cold or the skies turn damp, Fore Seasons' heated, covered tee line keeps golfers swinging. Trinity Golf Course also remains open all year to help golfers stay sharp.

Lights all around the driving range and Trinity Golf Course allow for extended play well into the evening (the facility typically closes at 11 p.m.). Mulligans Pub and Restaurant stays open as late or later -- until 1 a.m. on weekends -- to serve up its fine fare and live local music.

To continually build its local market, Fore Seasons takes a number of traditional, proactive steps, Holloway says. "We sell memberships and advertise on television, cable, radio, billboards, et cetera," he says.

But the real gem of Fore Seasons' marketing prowess is the fact that Bogey's -- the sister facility once owned by Holloway and now by CMP -- is just a half-mile down the road. Bogey's offers a wealth of amenities itself, most of which are different from those found at Fore Seasons.

These include batting cages, an outdoor mini golf course, go-kart tracks, amusement rides, a climbing wall, an indoor play area and a sand volleyball court.

Between the two facilities, there really is something for everyone. And Holloway and CMP take advantage of that fact. "We do a lot of cross-marketing of the two facilities," he notes. "In addition to individual golfers and families, we get a lot of corporate business as well between the two facilities."

The proximity of the two facilities -- both in terms of business strategy and literal location -- provides another distinct advantage, Holloway says. "We're able to use the same employees at both locations," he says.

For patrons, that translates to a familiar, friendly face at whichever facility they choose. For Fore Seasons' management, that brings flexibility and customer service consistency that helps the two facilities put forth a united front in the market.

And that market has a lot of untapped potential, despite the fact that business already is good. Fore Seasons is located 70 miles west of Indianapolis, where there are several other golf ranges and recreation facilities. But point the compass the other way, and things open up quite a bit.

"Going 30 miles east into the market, patrons have to decide whether to go to Indianapolis or come here," Holloway says. "But to the west, north and south, our market goes quite a ways."

EYE ON THE BALL
Fore Seasons Golf Complex is sincere in its mission to be the caretaker of the game of golf in and around Terre Haute, Ind. They aim to take junior golfers from their first swings to the highest levels of the game. They seek to properly train beginners to go on to higher and higher levels of proficiency. They aspire to improve the health of the game for themselves -- and other area golf courses -- by creating more and better players and ambassadors of the game.

In another facility, a patron may easily write off that vision as lip service and empty promises. After all, it's all about the bottom line, right? But one short conversation with Jon Holloway lets you know that he and the entire Fore Seasons team are sincere in their intent. Add in the facility's family focus, and it becomes even clearer.

Then consider this: One of CMP's -- and therefore Fore Seasons' -- owners is a local physician who has spent more than a decade helping cancer patients battle the deadly disease in and around Terre Haute. He also is founder of a blood disease and cancer treatment facility in town and serves on the board of Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Though his primary passion is helping people through medicine, his other love is the game of golf. That's why Fore Seasons dedicates 1 percent of its profits to cancer charities.

Just one more piece of proof that Fore Seasons' heart is in the right place.

HONORING A LOCAL HERO
Travis Smith, a 19-year-old Terre Haute native, was making a name for himself in the golf world when a tragic accident took his life on Jan. 27, 2007. Before going on to a successful freshman year as a member of the Ball State University golf team, Smith set every golf record in the book at Terre Haute South Vigo High School. He also played basketball and volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club. He was beloved by everyone that knew him.

"Travis was one of our outstanding junior golfers," Holloway says. "He came up through the Terre Haute junior program, through the local public courses, before going to Ball State on a golf scholarship." At Fore Seasons Golf Complex, Travis' memory lives on. The facility's double-deck tee structure is named the Travis J. Smith Memorial Driving Range to honor his outstanding ability and character. Additionally, the main hallway leading into Mulligans, Fore Seasons' on-site pub and restaurant, is dedicated to Travis as well. It displays photos, trophies and other memorabilia of one of Terre Haute's greatest young golfers. Among them: Smith's 2004 Indiana Golf Foundation junior champion award and his 2004 city junior champion award, as well as one of his golf gloves.

AT A GLANCE
-- Indiana's only climate-controlled, automated, double-deck tee structure
--48 total hitting stations (24 in the tee structure plus 12 artificial and 12
    natural grass stations)
-- Practice putting/chipping green and a practice bunker 
-- Indoor blacklight mini golf course (only the ninth in the United States)
    featuring a hand-painted jungle theme 
-- Interactive Sports golf simulator featuring 15 courses 
-- A full service pub and restaurant
-- Mulligans game room with arcade, billiards and darts 
-- Party rooms