By LEAH WEATHERSBY

At first glance, it seems as though the manicured grounds of Jackson Park Golf Course in Northeast Seattle would have no trouble drawing golfers on a sunny day.

It's hard to believe that underneath the green lies asbestos and wood pipes that haven't been replaced since the course opened in 1930, and that the two charming brick buildings that house the facility's restaurant and pro-shop also contain outmoded heating and electrical systems, the original plaster walls, which have become fragile over the years, and an asbestos-lined basement that has, for all practical purposes, been abandoned.

On a recent morning, Kevin Earl, director of golf at Jackson Park, was dealing with one of repairs needed in the pro-shop building - some of the faucets, including those in the men's restroom, weren't getting hot water. The plumber who had come to bid on the repair told Earl that fixing it wouldn't be easy.

Despite the problems, Earl sees a bright future for Jackson Park once it is renovated. After all, he pointed out, the course is well-laid-out and located in a major city.

"This could be one of the best facilities in the Pacific Northwest. It has everything going for it," said Earl. "I see this as a huge diamond in the rough."

Earl works for Seattle Golf, a non-profit group which also manages the Jefferson Park and West Seattle courses at the behest of the owner, Seattle Parks and Recreation.

As Earl explains it, the Parks Department doesn't have the expertise to manage golf facilities itself, so it relinquishes that job to private entities, either non-profit or for-profit, as in the case of the management team at Interbay Golf Center, located just south of the Ballard Bridge.

Seattle Golf took over the management of the three courses in 1995 from a for-profit company with the idea of turning profits back into improving the facilities. Ron Gibbs, executive director of Seattle Golf, said the Jefferson Park and West Seattle courses have already had major improvements - now Jackson Park is the "last big issue."

Earl said that currently Jackson Park is first on the list that courses "don't want to be on" - the facility has been criticized by the United States Golf Association, the national governing body of golf, for its poor infrastructure.

He said that golfers at Jackson Park have been waiting for course upgrades for more than two decades now.

So why has it taken so long to whip Jackson Park back into shape? Unfortunately, said Gibbs, times are tough in the golf industry, which has grown more competitive in recent years.

"There are more golf courses than golfers," Gibbs said, explaining that the region's economic slump and poor weather conditions in recent months have also hurt Jackson Park's revenues. He said maintenance costs on Seattle's public golf courses are also higher than those for private golf courses because the City's public courses are required to employ union workers, leaving little money left over for improvements. (Gibbs added that Seattle Golf is currently working with the Parks Department to find more efficient ways of maintaining the courses, which could save Seattle Golf up to $300,000 per year.)

Seattle Golf has been able to secure a $2 million loan to fix up the three courses, part of which will go to add parking, a driving range and a new irrigation system to Jackson Park over the next couple of years. The organization will need to borrow another $10 million complete this set of projects. (The irrigation system will be partially paid for by a Seattle Public Utilities project which will begin installing three new detention ponds to the course sometime this year.)

Gibbs said that he hopes the renovation will bring golfers back to Jackson Park, and that, that will raise the money needed for the other projects, such as the new club house.

Building a driving range will likely be the most important step towards drawing people in. As Earl, a former professional golfer, explains, an 18-hole game can take 4-1/2 hours to play - too long for people with busy schedules. The growth, he said, is in shorter, learning modes of play provided by driving ranges.

Interbay, for example, boasts a driving range and other practice facilities. Although the Interbay's parent company went bankrupt, the facility itself, now owned by the Parks Department, is profitable. The City currently has a contract with a for-profit company to operate Interbay (which runs out at the end of year). At that time, Gibbs said, Seattle Golf may bid for management of that facility as well.

Earl said another important difference between Interbay and Jackson Park is modernity: 5-year-old vs. 72-year-old amenities.

"Interbay is not dealing with a plumber right now to get hot water," Earl said.

Jackson Park Golf Course is located at 1000 NE 35th St. For more information, call 363-4747.