Busy sales season in Minnesota resort country this week. As usual, these local-ish news stories are ordered from most likely to least likely.
Temple Terrace (Temple Terrace, FL): Good news for "Turboe"…the city and the club came to an agreement on the club’s debts…turns out it wasn’t a financial issue but a bad project management issue.
https://www.tampabeacon.com/news/temple-terrace-golf-club-resolve-differences/article_e184f242-fb9f-11ef-b377-af414e6a5d00.htmlCragun’s Resort (Brainerd, MN): The resort, family-owned for 85 years, changed hands. The new owners are Minnesota-based Leisure Hotels and Resorts.
Cragun’s, third largest resort in Minnesota, is sold to Brainerd investment group – Twin CitiesThe Wilds (Prior Lake, MN): Speaking on Minnesota markets, Weiskopf’s Wilds had been on the market for five years but sold to the Thompson Golf Group, known for Lake Geneva Resort among others.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/prior-lake-golf-club-sells-to-arizona-group-for-7-7-millionChappaquiddick (Chappaquiddick, MA): The cult favorite has sold to the neighbors of the former managers. The good news is that, based on the quote delivered by the new owners in describing the course, (“all her quixotic splendor”), the course and brand will remain the same.
https://www.mvtimes.com/2025/03/10/chappaquiddick-golf-course-changes-hands/Nesvöllur (Reykjavik, Iceland): A southwesterly did significant damage to the nine-hole course at the far peninsular tip of Reykjavik, and initial feedback is that restoration will not be affordable.
https://www.icelandreview.com/news/southwesterly-storm-damages-seltjarnarnes-golf-course/ Keswick Hall (Keswick, VA): Scot Sherman will be handling various tweaks to his mentor’s design…railroad-tying some bunkers and whatnot…but also apparently doing an extensive redesign of the No. 9 hole.
Jackson (Jackson, TN): Kris Spence will restovate Jackson Country Club, which will include a redesigned nos. 8 and 9. Spence says “the Jackson Country Club has a golf course that was clearly designed in or around 1929 by a highly skilled golf architect with a pedigree from the golden age era of golf design.” That architect? No one really knows.
https://www.wbbjtv.com/2025/03/06/jackson-country-club-announces-major-golf-course-restoration/Batchwood (St. Albans, England): The local council will pay to implement a redesign of the course’s No. 9 hole in order to prevent danger to pedestrians and drivers on the other side of the treeline. This marks the second redesign in six years for the long par three.
https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/politics/local-government/council-spending-whopping-172k-redesigning-golf-hole/Travis Pointe (Ann Arbor, MI): Apparent member Chris Wilczynski will move about bunkers for modern play as part of a forthcoming renovation.
https://thegolfwire.com/travis-pointe-clubhouse-renovation/The Villages, Florida: Two of the town’s billion golf courses – the De La Vista and Walnut Grove executives – will replace all bunkers, fairways, tee boxes, greens and underdrain systems at both courses…for $1.6 million!
https://www.villages-news.com/2025/03/09/two-golf-courses-in-the-villages-to-be-renovated-at-cost-of-1-6-million/Glen Cove (Glen Cove, NY): The city council approved “renovations” (fixing an overpass and a walking bridge)…damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Which was prior to me even taking up golf.
https://www.longislandpress.com/2025/03/12/glen-cove-golf-course/Thunderbolt Pass (Evansville, IN): New owner Dylan Meyer – yes, the 29 y.o. PGA pro – has announced a rebrand to “The Farm” and forthcoming renovations that will extend the course (it tips out at 5,800+ currently) as well as adjustments to open “new angles to holes to open up the natural landscape of the course.” I’m intrigued!
https://www.14news.com/2025/03/10/thunderbolt-pass-become-farm/ Grove Park (Jackson, MS): The city has announced upgrades to Grove Park as a whole, including the reopening on the nine-hole municipal course. Details have not been revealed except that funding stems from the city’s recent settlement with Zurich-American.
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2025/03/06/jackson-ms-grove-park-upgrades-golf/81783620007/Coronado (Coronado, CA): The city is thinking about reducing turf coverage to accordingly reduce water needs. Great idea but do it quick…the exposed sand movement is gathering some naysayers!
https://coronadotimes.com/news/2025/03/07/coronado-will-consider-turf-reduction-at-golf-course-to-reduce-water-use/Penobscot (Orono, ME): The owner of this Donald Ross design says he’s negotiating with the owner of another golf course, which at least keep things hopeful that it stays a golf course.
https://b985.fm/penobscot-valley-country-club-maine/Reston National (Reston, VA): The golf course says adding 300 homes…somewhere…are necessary to keep the train on the track. Existing local residents aren’t hot on it. The plan would involve rerouting nine golf holes but I haven’t seen these plans.
https://patch.com/virginia/reston/golf-course-proposal-build-300-houses-sparks-debate