HARMONY — Strawberry Ridge Golf Course is all about family and familiarity.

Tim McNulty has owned the property the course sits on since 1985. He and his wife, Ann, put the golf course business together and are in their 12th year of operation.

“This place is ever evolving,” McNulty said. “That’s the best way I can describe it.”

McNulty and course workers Ron Smith and Jeremy Raithel do all of the maintenance on the tee boxes, fairways and greens.

They’ve recently enlarged the tee box on the par-3 No. 17 hole and are planning on expanding other tee boxes on the course. Improving the cart paths is also in the works.

“During the slow season and in the winter, I’m out there all day,” McNulty said of the golf course. “Once the (golf) season begins, a lot of my time is in management and in the kitchen.

“I do a good share of the cooking here, too.”

The restaurant at the facility “caters to the golfers,” McNulty said. “They can get everything from a steak dinner to a hot dog and everything in between.”

They can get in a competitive round of golf, too.

“We do what we have to do to try to keep our prices down while improving the overall facility,” McNulty said. “That’s why I say we’re always evolving. It’s a little bit at a time. Everything we do out there costs money.

“We’re going to bring in a little more sand as we go, but not too much. We’re aware of not making the course too hard, yet lengthening tee boxes gives the top golfers an opportunity to play a longer shot.”

The McNulty’s children have pitched in to help the course as well. Michael, 20, is at engineering school in Colorado and is a golfer who lends a hand when he’s home.

Other children are daughters Melanie and Meghan, 18 and 16, respectively, and 12-year-old son Mark.

“I can tell Mark balls need picked up on the driving range or let Meghan know we need someone on the cash register and they’re there,” McNulty said. “It’s very rewarding, seeing how everybody lends a hand. Our employees here are great people, too.

“We call the people here our Strawberry Ridge family.”

That includes the golfers.

Strawberry Ridge is home to 16 leagues Monday through Friday. They add up to 332 golfers teeing off at 4 p.m. or later during the week.

“We’re very fortunate to get the support we do from local leagues,” McNulty said. “It’s been fantastic.”

Strawberry Ridge will open a unique practice facility by the end of May. Golfers will be able to work on all phases of their game.

Along with the driving range and practice green, the practice facility will feature sand traps with heights of bunkers ranging from two to six feet. Patches of rough will provide chipping opportunities.

“It will be pretty unique,” McNulty said. “If someone wants to prepare his game for a round at a more challenging course outside of the area, this will help him.”

Cost will be $6 for a bucket of balls that can be used anywhere on the practice facility.

Greens fees at Strawberry Ridge are comparable to other area courses. McNulty said golf facilities north of Pittsburgh can ill afford to charge too much.

“Pittsburgh and south, it seems more expensive to golf,” he said. “Some courses to the north of us are charging less than they were 12 years ago.

“You have to stay in business. This industry has been rough over the last 10 years.”

Strawberry Ridge offers a frequent user’s discount as well.

“We want golfers to come back,” McNulty said. “We work at that.”