Frank and Charles Schroll, owners of the 18-hole Glastonbury, Conn., property, will begin running the nine-hole Minnechaug facility with a five-year lease that calls for annual rent of $30,000. The pair will operate the golf course under the name FCS Golf LLC, and plan to “make it a gem that the town deserves.”
The Glastonbury, Conn., town council voted unanimously January 28 to enter into a partnership with Glastonbury Hills Country Club to run the nine-hole Minnechaug Golf Course, the Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported.
Frank and Charles Schroll, owners of the town’s 18-hole Glastonbury Hills, will run the golf course under the name FCS Golf LLC. The pair said they are confident they can reverse improve Minnechaug and bring back golfers who have scattered over the years, the Courant reported.
“The niche at Minnechaug is what golf really needs now,” Charles Schroll said. “It’s the ladies, the juniors and the seniors. We want to grow the game from the bottom. We believe with a little effort, the golfers will come back. We have a plan to make it a gem that the town deserves.”
Private firms have been running the course since 1998, and last year the town parted ways with MDM Golf. Town Manager Richard J. Johnson said he was confident Glastonbury could come up with a plan and worked over the holidays along with parks and recreation director Raymond Purtell to reach an agreement, the Courant reported.
The town will enter a five-year lease that calls for an annual rent of $30,000. The town also will receive $2.50 per round over 13,000 rounds, plus 5 percent of cart rentals and 5 percent of summer junior clinics. A revenue share for the restaurant will be negotiated after the first two years of operation, the Courant reported.
The town will improve the course’s irrigation system, drainage and netting to protect homes from wayward balls. The town established an account in 2009 to invest revenue for ongoing capital needs at the course. Approximately $186,000 is available for course improvements, the Courant reported.
“Thank you for stepping up and doing this,” Councilman Kurt P. Cavanaugh said to the Schrolls. “The town will be with you side by side.”
“Now we are way ahead of the game,” Councilman Thomas P. Gullotta said. “Instead of spending money and breaking even, we have a golf course and we will be making a few bucks out of it and be glad we are not doing it.”
Councilman Timothy C. Coon said the Schrolls are “not doing it for charity,” the Courant reported. “They are doing it because they believe they can make a profit. This is a jewel and it bodes well for the future,” he said.
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