He just asked Steve Watts, voice of the UVU Wolverines, to take time away from his partnership with Brent Norton (voice of BYU baseball) in a plastic picnic bench company, to manage the course.

Watts, who has won a zillion Riverside club championships, is an Energizer-Bunny type, whose older brother Joe just retired as the executive director of the Utah Golf Association. Steve Watts has represented Utah in the USGA Senior Amateur and, like brother Joe, knows every good player in Utah.

Steve Watts replaces Resort Management Group, which operates Homestead in Midway.

"My job is to help players find their way to one of the state's best courses, a place that's hosted two Utah Open championships right out of the chute," said Watts.

Horne likes Watts' vision.

Watts knows golfers struggle to get to and find the course. With Redwood Road undergoing a facelift, he insists the 13-mile drive from Bangerter Highway isn't that tough and many Salt Lake City players frequent the layout.

"We just have to get them pointed this way," he said.

Watts, who could sell Bin Laden a razor, is a ball of enthusiasm.

"It's as beautiful as Hobble Creek, and takes the same travel time to get to from Provo," said Watts.

Watts hired Justin Bloxham, the former head pro at Sand Hollow in Hurricane. A graduate of ASU's school of golf management, he had previously been an assistant at both Thanksgiving Point and TalonsCove.

"Steve is obviously very personable, a great guy, very creative, fun to be around and talk to," said Bloxham.

One of the first orders of business is friendly customer care. No Nazi stuff by staff. "Gotta be friendly. Make it pleasant, fun," is Watts' mantra.

"Doug really trusts Steve. He knows he's got his back and is loyal," said Bloxham. "We have a pretty good culture started here. It's more relaxed, friendly, that sort of thing. Steve isn't afraid to try new ideas."

Watts loves to tell the story of how he hired starter Rachel Anderson.

"I was riding a cart past the driving range one day when I saw this young woman hitting balls. She had perfect posture and as I stopped and watched, she had a perfect swing. I complimented her on her golf swing and got to talking with her. Turns out she used to work here. I hired her back."

He told me the story twice in three days. Vision.

So, Horne is reshuffling the deck at TalonsCove. He's got his army in place to make a run as solo owner in a business that's as challenging as ever in this economy. It takes guts, political maneuvering, tough choices, marketing, customer relations and the right faces. Any trip-up could mean financial disaster.

"We gotta get some water cups on this cooler," Horne said on a front-nine tee box last Tuesday. "We can't let that go."

Golf.

It's more than hooks and slices.

Ask Mr. Horne.

e-mail: dharmon@desnews.com