Tiger Woods, in his youth, dreamed of winning a "major" professional golf championship. That dream has been realized six times already and he is an odds-on favorite in every major he enters.

Ron Klingle has a somewhat similar dream -- to host a major. While his odds of accomplishing that feat aren't in the Tiger range, don't bet against him!

Klingle, president and CEO of Avalon Holdings Corp., is gearing his Avalon Lakes Golf Course, Howland Township, for just that purpose. It began last year with a redesign of the course by famed course architect Pete Dye.

"My goal is to host a major tournament -- a PGA or U.S. Open," said Klingle, a 1965 Hickory High grad who admits a raging passion for the sport of golf. "It takes five or six years before something like that comes about. As Pete Dye was coming here, we had a number of conversations about it. Therefore the course is specifically designed to be a championship golf course, with a stadium effect and room for galleries."

The LPGA got a taste of the new design last year during the Giant Eagle Classic at Avalon Lakes. It drew rave reviews. However, that was to be the final year for the tournament at Avalon Lakes as a contract couldn't be worked out between Avalon Holdings and Mahoning Valley Charities, host of the tournament.

So while the LPGA event prepared to return to its original local site at Squaw Creek Country Club, Klingle and Company began preparing for the future. Last fall, Dye returned and "tweaked" the course, adding some fairway bunkers and major bunker complexes. No. 18 was redesigned.

Earlier this year, work began on a $1 million complex which will be a driving range and teaching facility. "It will be second to none," said Klingle. "It will be spectacular.

"All of this was done because we want to make Avalon the best there is. We may not be ranked No. 1, but there is no question this will be one of the finest championship courses in the country and the world. All of this not only benefits the golfers who play here, but we need something like this to get the interest of people who makes decisions (about tournament sites)."

Klingle has been in contact with PGA officials and one of the key problems the course faces is to provide adequate parking for a huge tournament. The LPGA tournament, with much smaller crowds compared to a major event, was at about maximum for available parking.

Therefore, Klingle revealed he is negotiating with the City of Warren to buy the city-owned Avalon South Golf Course, which is across the street from Avalon Lakes.

It could be used as a parking area, much like Oakmont East Golf Club is when Oakmont Country Club hosts the U.S. Open every 10 or 11 years.

"There are a lot of things that need done to attract a major tournament," said Klingle. "And that's basically what we're trying to put together and at the same time making sure everything is done right. This would be a really big event for the whole community."

But one area Klingle won't have a problem with is the Avalon Lakes course itself, once it is all grown in. It was opened only on a limited basis last year.

"We warned everyone who played it that there would be a couple of bare spots and the greens were a little slow," said Klingle. "But everybody who walked off the course was amazed, we were getting one compliment after another."

Of course the new design is much tougher than the old Avalon Lakes that many golfers had come to know and love. The distance from the back tees is up to 7,600 yards from 7,000 and the USGA rating from the championship tees is 76.9 with a slope of 142. In layman's terms: This course is very tough!

But the average golfer shouldn't be scared off by that, because there are a number of tee areas.

"Any golfers, no matter their ability, can have fun with it," Klingle said.

For instance, the front tees which are calculated for women, have a much easier slope of 117 and rating of 68.4.

While the standard price of playing the course is $150 per round (which includes cart), there are special deals in effect, Klingle pointed out.

A coupon (located in this golf edition) provides a $50 discount. The course will also offer a chance to join the Avalon Golf Club as charter members of the now semi-private facility.

There are a variety of plans, most of which are cheaper than your usual country club dues.

"We think they will be very popular," Klingle said.

One of the plans, for $3,000 annual dues, includes free golf. And unlike most country clubs, there are no other annual assessments or food-minimums. Other plans include a smaller dues, with a cost for each round of golf.

The course leases out the restaurant and banquet facilities, which like the course have been renovated.

"It's totally world class," said Klingle, who himself admits to being a very-satisfied customer. "It's open like a regular restaurant and the food is second to none. They offer the best in dining and banquet facilities and there are no requirements to use it."

The course itself is expected to open this weekend, or soon after. The new driving range should be completed by the first week in June. When completed, there will be five large greens for golfer to shoot for on the range. The vary in distance from 80 yards to 280 yards.