Successful Municipal courses

[Brian Ross]

I am turning to you, wise sages of GCA, for examples of successful municipal courses that I can use as potential case studies for my senior thesis project this upcoming school year.  I'm not particularly interested in highly ranked, multi-course facilities like Bethpage or Torrey Pines.  I'm looking for examples of 9 or 18 hole, town, county, or small city-owned facilities that you consider to have some architectural merit and have had a positive impact on the community.  Bonus points for facilities that include more than golf (park space, walking/hiking trails, athletic fields, etc) and/or courses in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeastern U.S. (I am definitely interested in ALL examples, those will just be easier for me to see in person).  TIA!

[Kirk Moon]

This list might be a good place to start (in case you haven't seen it already):  http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/may/11/golfweeks-best-municipal-courses-2010-11/?RANKINGS-GolfweeksBest

I am very familiar with Harding Park in SF.  It is a reasonably nice course with several excellent holes.  Quite well maintained considering the heavy use it sees and the relatively difficult weather conditions at the site (lots of wind and fog in the Summer and a fair bit of rain in the Winter.)  One thing I like about it is that the golf cart path that runs from the entrance of the property past the clubhouse to a bridge across the adjacent lake is open to people out for a stroll, joggers, etc.  And Lake Merced (which bounds the course on three sides) is a public use lake.  All summer long there are teams out on the lake paddling Chinese long boats (competitive races and training), teams training for traditional rowing competitions, and fishermen.  Gives the place a nice multi-use, non-exclusive feel which complements the fact that it is a municipal facility. 

[michael damico]

Brain,

I was interested in the same topic not too long ago...it really depends on your definition of successful; does the course generate enough income each year to be in the black? is the course an 'architectural gem' that hasn't been redesigned (or removal of bunkers at the least)? etc.... 

The more interesting topic I found was the difference of maintenance standards between a muni course and say, a 'championship' course and the effects over time they have caused on the initial strategy of the designer. That could be studied much more easily as it would be two course histories instead of attempting to sift through the nation's thousands (although maybe now, hundreds) of muni courses.

If it was anything like it was for me in LA, (and how many architects have mentioned how it was the same for them in school back in the 70s) you will have a stiff crowd ahead of ya...

[Mike Nuzzo]

I would vote for Memorial Park Golf Course
It is a nice course in a big park
Easy walking course
No overspending on reconstruction or maintenance
Popular lunch place - hard to do for most municipalities - a hint - they don't run the f&b 
Their range revenues are huge
Cheers

[RJ_Daley]

Though not on the GW list, a former tour stop, part of a larger countywide system, within the confines of a larger county park facility, Brown Deer in Milwaukee.  

My course, Brown County Golf Course, WI, (Ed Lawrence Packard-1958) is a perennial revenue producer, never requiring extra fund subsidy, of fair architectural merit, well run, with a f&B concessionaire who has great food year around.  New CH in 2000, Super is county division head and oversees the rest including the pro and the concessionaire.  Good proshop and long serving pro.  A 3 hole, range, first tee learning facility is on the drawing board, may commence construction this fall.

The STate of Wis park system runs a popular course in Door Co, called Peninsula GC, north of Sturgeon Bay on the Green Bay side.

Madison WI has a robust multi course municipal system.  Brown Co, and City of Madison have very reasonable priced citizen unlimited season pass deals.

Edit adding to this:

Riverside GC in Janesville, WI, City run, 1924 RB Harris, is a great deal for residents, and is of good design merit.  They host a popular Midwest Amatuer event, The Ray Fisher open.  I haven't been there in a long time, don't know state of F&B, but season pass is a steal.

[Sam Morrow]

I would vote for Memorial Park Golf Course
It is a nice course in a big park
Easy walking course
No overspending on reconstruction or maintenance
Popular lunch place - hard to do for most municipalities - a hint - they don't run the f&b 
Their range revenues are huge
Cheers

Mike I agree Memorial is a good example. They sell more expensive (but good burgers) than anybody in town and make a killing off that range, there is almost always a wait.

[Dan Herrmann]

Brian...  I'll pitch research into the municipal courses of Portland, OR.   I've never seen another group of courses as successful as Portland's.   Always busy, good quality, good price, good service, and when I lived there - a budget surplus.

[Peter Pallotta]

Brian - if it's not outside your area of study, look into the city of Mississauga's (just outside (Toronto) two courses - Lakeview, a 1912 Herbert Strong design that is always packed with players; and BraeBen, a fairly new course that sits up 100 feet above the surrounding urban sprawl because it was built on a capped garbage dump, but also I think a financial success.
Peter

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Brian

Does it matter whether they are operated by the public sector or private sector? 

These days public operated courses are few in number and usually the operation is a concession with government doing the maintenance.  So to call them public operated is a little deceiving.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Memorial Park in Houston is a great example. The old City Park courses in New Orleans were but not the new ones coming soon.

[Brian Ross]

All,

Thanks for the feedback thus far.  Keep em coming! 

I think the course Mike N. describes is a good example of what I mean in terms of being "successful."  A course with some architectural merit, low maintenance costs, is affordable but not a fiscal drain on the municipality, and has other amenities that increase its draw within the community.

My goal with each case study will be to attempt to develop an understanding for what makes the particular course successful for the municipality, how the finances work (this part might be difficult), the framework for how the course was first established (from first proposal, to funding, to community involvement, to development), and finally, how I can potentially relate its success to my project.


Lynn,

I would say, for my purposes, that it does not necessarily matter whether the course is publicly or privately operated, though that is something I will likely have to consider once I have begun my study of the facility.  My main criterion right now is that it be municipally-owned.   

Peter,

No course is outside of my area of study, I just recommended Mid-Atlantic/SE USA because it would be easier for me to see those courses first hand with my limited time this fall.  There is plenty I can learn for the purpose of this project from afar. 

Kirk,

I had seen the GolfWeek Top 50, but haven't had a chance to go through each of them individually to see if they might fit my purposes.  Thanks for the advice on Harding Park. 

[Michael Huber]

Schenely Park Golf Course (now called Bob O Connor Golf links) is a unique course within the city limits of Pittsburgh.  They run a first tee program through it, and it has a lot of quirk.  by a  lot of quirk, I mean the teeboxes are astroturf and you hit over a busy road at least 6 times in 18 holes.  its a part of schenley park, which is a large city park. 

[Mac Plumart]

Check me if I am off base on this...

but aren't the golf courses at Indian Wells technically muni's?  And aren't they front and center as being an economic catalyst for the entire city/town/community of Indian Wells?

[Dan Herrmann]

The Portland, OR municipal courses have wonderful architecture.  Eastmoreland held the USGA Publinx in the 90s, Heron Lakes has a pair of RTJ Jr courses, Rose City is just a good, solid fun course, and the course once known as Progress Downs has had a redux.

In fact, in 1993, they had enough money left over that they diverted the surplus to art programs.

To me, it was a win-win.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

There are dozens of successfully public golf courses in California.
Here are a few:
Brookside in Pasadena.  36 holes around the Rose Bowl, generates huge sums of money for the City of Pasadena from golf revenues as well as parking revenues during Rose Bowl events.  Probably in excess of $1 million a year for the City of Pasadena.  An old Billy Bell design, it was ruined/changed once with new greens by the son, William P. Bell in 1953, and about to be altered again by John Harbottle.
The site was originally examined by Walter Travis before Billy Bell built it in 1927.

L.A. County courses.  I think they have 17, all leased out, probably generating about $10 million a year in rent to subsidize the foreign travel expenses for L.A. County supervisors.  Very affordable for all, especially seniors.  Many have huge banquet facilities with numerous weddings.

City of Long Beach.  3 18 holers, one 9 holer and then of course Heartwell an 18 hole par 3 course where it all started for Tiger Woods.  Again, huge profits in rent derived from leasing all facilities to American Golf Corp.  Probably $2 million a year for the City of Long Beach.  Has turned out large number of junior players who have had successful pro and college careers.  Recreation Park is historic as a former country club site and the clubhouse has been declared an historical monument.  Very active men's and women's clubs, Long Beach Golf Festival with numerous tournaments and always busy driving ranges at most courses.

North Fulton, Chastain Park, Atlanta.  Probably turns enough in profit to subsidize the other 3 Atlanta munis.  Operated by American Golf.  Was originally designed by H. Chandler Egan, and a traditional stop in the 50's for the pros on their way to Augusta for the Masters.

Brackenridge, San Antonio.  This could be an interesting research project.  A non profit has been created to oversee the "restoration" of the historic course.  The city provided the non profit the funds and it would be interesting to know how that is working for all institutions involved in this struggling golf economy.

Lake Tahoe Golf Course.  Owned by the State of California, leased to American Golf, this state owned public derives about $600,000 to $800,000 a year in rent from American Golf.  American Golf in turned makes about $300,000 a year.  Not bad for a course open 6 months a year.  Rate are reasonable for a resort property, but have risen quite a bit in the past 20 years.

Mac

The munis at Indian Wells are in a redevelopment project.  Their original purpose was to attract hotels and thus a nice bed tax base for the city.  After about a $90 million dollar redo, they are upscale and providing a nice dining experience for the residents of Indian Wells at a 25% discount.  The golf courses do not turn a profit, even before debt.  However it does not matter in the overall scheme of things.

[Matthew Rose]

Was gonna mention Brown County and Janesville Riverside... RJ stole my thunder.

So I'll just say "+1" on those two.

[Brian Ross]

Brain,

I was interested in the same topic not too long ago...it really depends on your definition of successful; does the course generate enough income each year to be in the black? is the course an 'architectural gem' that hasn't been redesigned (or removal of bunkers at the least)? etc....  

The more interesting topic I found was the difference of maintenance standards between a muni course and say, a 'championship' course and the effects over time they have caused on the initial strategy of the designer. That could be studied much more easily as it would be two course histories instead of attempting to sift through the nation's thousands (although maybe now, hundreds) of muni courses.

If it was anything like it was for me in LA, (and how many architects have mentioned how it was the same for them in school back in the 70s) you will have a stiff crowd ahead of ya...

Michael,

Thanks for the thoughts.  As suggested, I have already dealt with some head-butting over the topic of my project.  Luckily, I have a hard head!  I first pitched the project to a member of my faculty who spent some time working in GCA post-grad (in the 80s) before returning to school for his Masters/PhD.  I had been warned of the possibility of rejection by my advisor, and was indeed turned away.  Much of what I have pursued outside of my major has been with the intent of improving my knowledge base for this exact type of project on this type of site (I've had it in mind for some time).  To make a long story short, with a little diplomacy (and some begging) I was finally able to change another professor's mind, convincing them to take me up on the project, though with some concessions.

First, I cannot simply force a golf course into the program and onto the site, and rightly so I suppose.  However, should my analysis determine it a feasible addition to the site, I will be allowed to pursue it as a part of the whole.  It will involve VERY little actual design work of the course itself (at least as it officially pertains to my project and grade) though I will be able to site the course and produce an effective routing.  The balance will involve some community-related endeavors, a lot of ecological and stormwater management issues and fitting the rest of the pieces of the site into the puzzle.  I'm looking forward to it though!

Dan,

Thanks for the thoughts on Portland.  Portland is a LAR buff's wet dream.  Great city for design related issues.  I need to visit Oregon sometime.  

[Mike Hogan]

I'm pretty sure the Chaska Town Course in Chaska Minnesota is owned and run by the city of Chaska.
Major discounts for local resisdents. I believe the land for the course was donated by a developer.
A good solid course that I think was a Art Hills design.

[Wade Whitehead]

Bryan Park in Greensboro is a great example.

WW

[RJ_Daley]

Now that I think about it, Wilmington NC municipal has gotten a lot of praise here on GCA years ago.

http://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/community_services/recreation/golf_course.aspx

A Donald Ross original...

[Bill_McBride]

Memorial Park in Houston is a great example. The old City Park courses in New Orleans were but not the new ones coming soon.

Tiger, is that boondoggle actually going to happen?   Where is all that money coming from in these hard times for municipal finance?

[Adam Clayman]

Pacific Grove in California was the most successful muni I have ever heard of. That was up until some morons decided to build a 4 million dollar clubhouse that cost 10 million. With 135k rounds a year, and a green fee that was under $35 they were able to bank in their enterprise fund the 4 million, all the while upgraded their maintenance facility and bought equipment that was the envy of their high end neighbor, Pebble Beach.

[Tim Martin]

Brian-Although outside of your target area Shennecossett Golf Club in Groton Connecticut would more than fit the bill of a very successful municipal operation.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Bill, Last I heard it was. It is unlikely to ever break even again, just like the TPC.  Most of the Older Muni courses in this part of the world make money and feed the local budget.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I will shamelessly nominate at least one of my munis, starting with Sand Creek Station in smallish Newton, KS.

Ranked in the top 25 of GolfWeek munis, won NFG best service award a few years running, with Kemper Sports running the show, increased annual rounds every year since opening in 2006.  Good design interest on flat ground - template Road, Alps, and a few other holes.  Also has a regional bike path through the middle of it.

Financed through GO bonds and contributions from surrounding developers.  A real win-win for city, golfers and developers, and probably a model of how to do it and come out ahead.