The Rantoul, Ill. Park Board’s decision to table a plan to trade the municipal Brookhill GC for the privately owned Willow Pond GC will force a 50% staff reduction so Willow Pond can at least try to break even in 2016, its owner said.
A disappointed Kevin Applebee said he will be making staff cuts at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul, Ill. the hope of at least breaking even in 2016, the Rantoul Press reported.
Applebee’s reaction came following November’s Rantoul Park Board meeting, the Press reported, at which it was announced that the planned swap of privately owned Willow Pond for Brookhill Golf Course, which the park district owns, would not be happening, at least for a while.
C&RB reported on the proposed swap in October: http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2015/10/19/park-district-may-swap-willow-pond-gc-brookhill-gc/
The delay, the Press reported, is because the park district received a federal grant to help buy the property on which Brookhill sits, so the Board must receive government approval to make the swap.
“[The decision] just guarantees if I’m going to be staying in Rantoul, I won’t be making money,” Applebee told the Press. “So I’ll cut 50 percent of the employees and try not to lose money. I’ll try to cut my losses.”
Willow Pond has about 26 summer employees, Applebee said, and he will cut the staff level during the off-peak period.
The people of Rantoul “have such an entitlement mentality,” Applebee added in expressing his disappointment over the delay.
“They’re used to their government providing them everything,” he said. “They have their own fitness center that’s owned [by the village] because they’re used to the government feeding them from cradle to grave.
“There are 11,000 [people] supporting [Brookhill],” Applebee added. “Two people support [Willow Pond] — me and my wife. I think we’re still going to work to get it done.”
The golf course situation “will play out in time,” Applebee told the Press. “It’ll take a little longer. We’ll buckle down. I’ve been doing it for three years. I’ll just have to do it for a couple more.”
The frustration comes, he added, from trying to have two golf courses in such a small town.
“They’re not going to have two golf courses very long,” he told the Press. “You go to the average community of this size. Rantoul also has the highest taxes in [Champaign] county.”
Despite sinking a great deal of money into Willow Pond, including completely remodeling the clubhouse, (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2014/02/26/air-force-themed-renovation-willow-pond-gc-ongoing/), Applebee said he was attracted to swapping it for Brookhill because of how Brookhill passes the eye test, the Press reported.
“I think the topography of Brookhill is ultimately a better property — the undulation, the hills,” he said. “It’s a better visual golf course.
“Willow Pond is a nice golf course, but it’s relatively flat,” he added. “That’s why when we threw out the idea of which one would be the best one to close down, we said Willow Pond would make better farm ground.”
Another attraction of Brookhill, he added, is that it’s outside the town limits and as such isn’t subject to so many restrictions. “In terms of zoning, my hands are tied if I stay at Willow Pond,” Applebee said.
The Willow Pond owner repeated his belief that he can make Brookhill successful, even though it will need $300,000 in repairs to its irrigation system.
“I think with one course I can make this a viable attraction to the community,” Applebee said. “I know I can. There are more possibilities out there.”
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.