OTHELLO - Construction is underway on a golf resort and gated community near Potholes State Park.

The Legacy Resort at Frenchman Hills has about 267 acres of land that owner Howard Bafford said will eventually house an 18-hole golf course and about 700 individual and condominium homes. Other amenities planned for the property include a new clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant, small parks, tennis courts and a health club, he said.

Bafford acquired the Potholes Golf and RV Resort last December. The course already has 15 holes, a restaurant and a pro shop, said Bafford.

The first phase of the multi-year development project involves adding three more holes to make the course an 18-hole course. Work began adjacent to the existing course in February, he said.

The full course should be playable by the end of this summer, said Bafford.

Phase one of the project also involves the construction of about 30 homes on the golf course. Greg Haynes, director of development and operations at the resort, said the homes will be between 1,100 to 1,600 square feet.

According to information on the resort's website, the homes in phase one are targeted to be priced between $165,000 to $250,000.

Future phases of the project will consist of building larger homes and condominiums, said Haynes.

Haynes said the public is invited to see the golf course and model homes at the resort from 1 to 7 p.m. July 6. The event will offer community members a first look at the resort, he said.

Lunch will be served that day as well, said Haynes.

Bafford said he got the idea for the resort long before he bought the property in December.

"We actually looked at the property for about two years before we bought it," he said.

Bafford currently lives in Vancouver, where he operates a construction company. However, he used to live in Moses Lake, he said.

"I was involved in the area, and I know the people," he said. "And I know the sunshine."

Bafford said the area's weather is a big draw for people in other parts of the state.

"It's not that far from Seattle for example," he said. "People will come to get out of the rain and to do things not accessible as many days out of the year as it is here."

The area provides access to outdoor activities like fishing, hunting and swimming, he said. There's also access to the stores and restaurants in nearby communities like Othello and Moses Lake, said Bafford.

Bafford said he hopes families will make coming to the resort a tradition.

"We called it Legacy because it's my last major project and the first one I've involved my children in, so we look at it as a passage from one generation to another," he said. "That's kind of what this is designed to be."

Bafford said he wants to attract people who want to bring their families back year after year.

"A lot of families have something they do every year, whether it's an event or location they go to that becomes what they remember over the years," he said. "That's what we're hoping to create."

For more information, visit the resort's web site at www.tlgrllc.com.