The Village of Lawrence’s Board of Trustees is listening to pitches from many different leading management companies for taking over the club’s operations. The village privatized the club’s golf course maintenance operations in 2012 and realized significant savings.
The possible privatization of the village-owned and -operated Lawrence (N.Y.) Yacht & Country Club was the focus of two meetings held in the upstairs room of the country club on August 17th, reported the LI Herald of Garden City, N.Y. Two more meetings were scheduled for this week, the Herald reported.
Billy Casper Golf (BCG) made the first presentation to the Village of Lawrence Board of Trustees, followed by Troon Privé, the private-club management division of Troon Golf. Troon Privé was selected to manage the nearby Woodmere (N.Y.) Club when it was purchased by two firms, 2020 Acquisitions and Robert Weiss Properties, in 2017.
Woodmere is expected to close in 2021, reported the Herald, and its 118 acres will likely be developed into residential housing.
Other management firms that were scheduled to make presentations to Lawrence village officials, the Herald reported, included Arcis Golf, followed by KemperSports on August 23rd.
At the meeting with Billy Casper Golf, the Herald reported, Vice President Michael Cutler told the village trustees that “There is an opportunity here for [privatization] to be a win-win situation.” BCG’s proposal including offering to pay an annual fee to Lawrence village, create a profit-sharing plan and make a capital investment in the club, reported the Herald.
The idea of privatizing the Lawrence club’s operations has been kicked around by several village administrations, the Herald reported. It gained more steam during the Great Recession of 2008, coupled with the changing demographics of “The Five Towns,” the name used in the region for an informal grouping of towns located in Nassau County, N.Y. on Long Island’s South Shore. Those towns are now home to more Orthodox Jewish families, who are less likely to join country clubs, the Herald noted.
The primary objective of the village’s exploration of privatization, Lawrence officials said, is to make the club more financially sustainable so its operation doesn’t have to be subsidized, the Herald reported.
In 2012, the village privatized the maintenance of the golf course, after laying off several employees in December 2011, the Herald reported. With Valley Crest Maintenance taking care of the course, the village saved more than $300,000 in the first several months, officials said.
After the club was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October of that year, the clubhouse and marina were rebuilt and the grounds repaired with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, reported the Herald.
More aggressive membership campaigns have helped to attract and retain members at
Lawrence Y&CC, the Herald reported, and tennis has had a renaissance at the club, with lights installed last year over the nine courts. The club also built two pickleball courts in the past year.
Village officials said there is no definitive timetable for making a decision on whether they will choose a company to privatize the country club or maintain the status quo, the Herald reported.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.