Nine-hole golf course opens in Des Moines

A new golf course for golfers short on time has opened at 620 N.E. 66th Ave. in Des Moines. The Executive 9 at Woodland Hills Golf Course offers nine holes designed for faster play and features a variety of twists and turns to test every golfer. Hubbell Realty Company owns and operates the Executive 9 course, which has a par of 30 and a pace-of-play rating of about 70 minutes. In ideal conditions, officials say, the course can be completed in as little as one hour. The daily rate is $13, with special rates of $10 for seniors (age 60 and older) and juniors (age 12 and younger). Woodland Hills also has an 18-hole course that costs $22 Monday through Thursday and $26 Friday through Sunday. Senior rates are $15 Monday through Thursday and $22 Friday through Sunday. Call 289-1326 or visit www.golfwoodlandhills.com.

Spanish restaurant to open downtown this fall

Two Des Moines men, Mike Crownover and Spencer Vandeberg, plan to open a Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine restaurant called Lurra Cocina in Des Moines this October. The 5,000-square-foot space is located at 1420 Locust St. and is in the middle of renovations. Vandeburg owns a construction company and is remodeling the building and financing the project. Crownover, who has worked at Django and Centro, will run the restaurant. Chef Nick Illingworth, who has served at various Des Moines restaurants including Table 128 and The Cheese Shop, will join them. The menu for Lurra will consist of tapas ranging from $5 to $14 and larger entrees from $16 to $30. The restaurant will be open daily for both lunch and dinner.

HCI adds second thrift store to metro

The HCI Giving Tree opened its second thrift store at 521 E. Locust St., Suite 102, in the East Village on June 30. The store sells used furniture, décor, clothing and other items, and proceeds from sales support quality of life services to patients and families of HCI Hospice Care Services. The Hospice’s first location, which opened five years ago in Urbandale, has raised more than $300,000. Donations are not accepted at the East Village location but can be dropped off at the back door of the Urbandale store during regular hours. Hours for the East Village store are 10 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and closed Sunday and Monday. Call 244-0051, visit www.hcigivingtree.org or find it on Facebook.

Senior housing planned for West Des Moines

Minnesota-based Real Estate Equities Development LLC announced plans to break ground on a 55-unit housing project called Village Cooperative of West Des Moines. The groundbreaking will occur in the next two months at South 60th Street, just south of Mills Civic Parkway. The co-op will be for seniors aged 55 and older, and it will be one of only a handful of senior housing co-ops in the metro. Unlike condos, residents of co-ops rent their unit and have a share in the corporation that owns the property. Co-ops also take more responsibility for maintenance than what is usually offered in condos. Construction is expected to take 12 to 14 months, and the development will feature underground parking, a community room, a car wash bay, fitness center, guest suites and woodworking shop. Prices range from $65,000 for one-bedroom units to $125,000 for the largest two-bedroom. Village Cooperative has a minimum income requirement of between $23,000 and $43,000 per year depending on the unit.

Adventureland to add 2,500-foot roller coaster

Adventureland announced plans to add a 2,500-foot-long roller coaster called “The Monster” in June 2016. The steel ride will have a 133-foot vertical hill lift, a 101-degree first drop (steeper than any ride drop in Iowa), 10 “airtime” moments and five inversions. A simulation video of the roller coaster plan is on the park’s Facebook page. The Monster will replace the Log Ride, which is more than 40 years old. The Adventureland Facebook page says The Monster will cross the existing Sky Ride eight times and will have the first negative-G stall loop in the western hemisphere. The last day for rides on the Log Ride will be Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7. CV