Member-owners of the 90-year-old property are expected to hire National Golf & Resort Properties to search for buyers. “There has been no talk at all about closing; that is not an option,” stressed Club President John Skibski.
Monroe (Mich.) Golf & Country Club is being sold, reported the Monroe Evening News.
The country club, located in the Michigan town just over the Ohio border about 15 miles north of Toledo and 25 miles south of Detroit, has an 18-hole, Dan Ross-designed golf course and has been privately owned for more than 90 years, the Evening News reported. But declining membership due to competition from other golf courses in the area and changing views about belonging to private clubs have led to the decision to seek a buyer.
Club President John Skibski told the Evening News that the decision was made at the end of October to hire a Florida company that will search for potential buyers. Skibski stressed that the country club is not closing and that events will continue to be booked throughout the year.
“There has been no talk at all about closing; that is not an option,” Skibski said. “We believe the country club is an important asset to the community.”
The club has about 300 members, of which 39 are owners, the Evening News reported. The owners or their representatives met to discuss the club’s future and decided the best course of action was to find a partner. A Floridabased company, National Golf & Resort Properties Group is expected to be hired soon to seek buyers, the Evening News reported.
Efforts have been made in recent years to boost membership, including doubling the number of social and golf options available, Skibski said. But entertainment tastes have changed, and people want more variety instead of belonging to one entity. “Many people don’t associate with just one course anymore,” he said. “People have choices.”
Although Skibski said the country club is struggling, he expressed a belief that new owners would invest in it and continue to make it a “viable and premium option” for years to come, the Evening News reported. It’s possible a deal could be made by next year, it was noted.
“We think there is room for a private club in Monroe,” Skibski said. “ There is so much history here. We’re committed to this community.”
The club was built on a farm in 1884 by Col. Ira R. Grosvenor, a lawyer and Civil War army officer, the Evening News reported. The property was sold to the country club in 1919 and has undergone several remodeling projects over the years, it was noted.
Noting that anything is possible, Skibski told the Evening News that he expects the new owners to maintain the golf course and upgrade some of the facilities, which include formal and informal dining rooms that overlook the 18th green, a large ballroom that has a capacity of 250 people, three bars and other smaller private rooms.
“There are a lot of things that could be done that we couldn’t devote resources to in the past,” Skibski said. “ We look at this as an opportunity to keep a private club in Monroe.”
Skibski declined to discuss value of the property, which encompasses about 175 acres. The Evening News noted that TPC Michigan, a private club in Dearborn, Mich., that includes an 18- hole, Jack Nicklaus-designed course, is also up for sale, with an asking price of $ 3.25 million.
Ralph Mahalak Jr., owner of Monroe Jeep Dodge Superstore and five other vehicle dealerships, has been a member of the country club for 27 years and another of the 39 owners, the Evening News reported. Mahalak guessed that Monroe G&CC’s value would be in the $1 million to $1.5 million range, strictly based on the asking price for TPC Michigan.
“I think whoever buys it will be getting a real deal,” Mahalak told the Evening News. “I think it’s a great opportunity. If I didn’t have all these other things going on, I would seriously consider it. Monroe has a bright future.”
It’s possible, Mahalak added, that the new owners could make the club public, but he stressed that was pure speculation.
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