Waukesha County (Wis.) has decided to close the 49-year-old Menomonee Falls property, which it says has been losing an average of $100,000 annually, in the hopes of providing a revenue boost for the county’s other two courses. County executives are open to private ownership of Wanaki, which they say could offer a better chance of operating it profitably, because of increased opportunities to host outings and events.
Golfers who hit the links at Wanaki Golf Course in Menomonee Falls, Wis. will have to find a new course next year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, because Waukesha County’s Department of Parks and Land Use has announced that Wanaki will close after the 2019 golf season.
The course has been operating at a loss for the past decade, according to the announcement from department director Dale Shaver, the Journal Sentinel reported. Shaver noted that the county’s golf courses, which also include Moor Downs Golf Course in Waukesha and Naga-Waukee War Memorial Golf Course in Pewaukee, are not supported by tax money. Instead, they are paid for through golf course fees, cart rentals, concessions and special event fees.
Wanaki has lost from $41,000 to $243,000 annually for the last decade, Shaver said, and reserve funds that have kept Wanaki afloat have been depleted.
In addition, the Journal Sentinel reported, citing an FAQ posted at www.waukeshacounty.gov/golf, the 150-acre course needs “significant infrastructure repairs and upgrades, estimated to cost over $645,000, according to a 2018 projected infrastructure needs analysis.”
The FAQ also said that while the decision is not irreversible, changing it would require using tax money, the Journal Sentinel reported.
“I assure you that we have not made this decision lightly, but it is the right decision for the taxpayers of Waukesha County,” Shaver said. “While a plan is not yet in place for the Wanaki property, the county is reviewing all available options, including keeping the land as a park or green space. We hope to make a determination on the future use of the property by the end of 2019.”
A followup report by the Journal Sentinel said that the announcement of the closing prompted expressions of interest from a variety of people, ranging from community members wanting to save it to consultants who might have other plans.
For now, “anything is on the table,” Nicole Armendariz of the Waukesha County Executive’s Office told the Journal Sentinel.
Residents have formed a grassroots organization in an attempt to save the course, the Journal Sentinel reported, with an initial meeting set for July 22 at the Wanaki Clubhouse.
Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow told the Journal Sentinel that he had received phone calls immediately following the announcement of the planned closing from a few golf consultants inquiring about the property. But specific plans for the property have not been revealed.
“[The future of the golf course] could be anything,” said Armendariz. “It could be a green space, or it could be sold or transferred. Anything is on the table.”
There have been no negotiations with any developer wanting to buy the property, she added.
With Wanaki closing, Armendariz said, the goal is for more people to use the Moor Downs and Naga-Waukee War Memorial courses to increase their financial sustainability. Moors Downs, Farrow said, lost about $20,000 last year.
Wanaki’s closing will be introduced in the 2020 budget when the budget process begins in September, Armendariz said.
While Farrow said he is hopeful Wanaki could continue as a private golf course, the Journal Sentinel reported, there are also challenges associated with that.
“[Wanaki] was losing [an average] of $100,000 a year,” he said. “[Private owners] will have to take that into consideration, while increasing food-and-beverage opportunities.”
However, Farrow added, “There is more flexibility the private sector has when operating the course that the county does not have.” For example, private organizations could do more group outings or operate a reception venue at the course.
The estimated cost of operating the course for a private investor would be about $1 million, Armendariz said.
Wanaki is a second home to local golf enthusiast Mike Kuchar, the Journal Sentinel reported, and he and members of the Wanaki men’s golf club have created a committee that intends to keep the course open—and they are inviting the community to help.
The group has started the Save Wanaki Golf Course petition on Change.org, as well as a SaveWanaki Facebook page.
According to the petition on Change.org, Wanaki, which opened in 1970, hosted the Wisconsin Public Links Association’s premier 36-Hole Championship and three major high school tournaments, such as the WIAA state, regionals and sectionals, the Journal Sentinel reported. It has many leagues, such as a 270 member men’s club since 1976, a 75-member ladies 18-hole league since 1980 and more than 250 members of the junior golfer league.
“The No. 1 goal is to save the course,” said Kuchar. “Whatever we have to do to facilitate that, we will,” he said. “We need to meet and have a single direction.”
When Kuchar is overwhelmed or just needs to relax, Wanaki has always been there for him, he said. Members of Wanaki’s men’s golf club are all supportive, like family, he added.
“Golf is therapy,” he said. “It is brotherhood. Golf is a tough sport, but everyone is welcoming and willing to help each other.”
In golf, Kuchar said, everyone has different swings but a common bond. Once he had trouble with his chip shot, and another golfer advised him. “He said keep your elbow tucked in. And then—boom!—I had it,” Kuchar said. “It was the best advice.”
He also golfed Wanaki the day after a friend was in a motorcycle accident. “I was all shook up, but I got several hugs,” Kuchar said. “Everyone was so understanding, willing to listen and compassionate.
“I love the sport and the course,” he said. “I will support any resolution to make it work.”
Farrow, the county executive, is also a golfer, the Journal Sentinel reported. In fact, one of his proudest achievements is his only hole-in-one, which happened at Wanaki on August 1, 2000.
Farrow also said he sometimes puts in nine holes before work, because it is easier to fit in his schedule.
But the popularity of nine-hole golf is also Wanaki’s financial problem, Farrow added, because more people are opting to play nine rather than 18 holes. Consequently, they are spending less money on food, beverages, cart rentals and other costs associated with playing the longer round.
At Wanaki, more than 60% of the golfers play nine-hole rounds, and just under 40% golf a full 18, the Journal Sentinel reported.
It’s just the opposite at Naga-Waukee War Memorial, which is the county’s most financially successful course, according to Farrow. There, 58% play 18, to 42% playing nine.
Another Wanaki financial shortcoming is that more people walk the course, because it is flatter. This means golfers spend less money on cart rentals, Farrow said.
The county has worked to keep the golf course open, with efforts going toward increasing revenue and reducing expenses, according to Armendariz.
Those efforts, the Journal Sentinel reported, have included providing enhanced food-and-beverage offerings; organizing more small events with live music, specialty foods and beverage tastings; eliminating one full-time staff position at Moor Downs; reducing seasonal hours; implementing a bridge project at Wanaki to reduce ongoing maintenance costs and decrease closure days due to flooding; implementing course layout and landscape changes to increase the pace of play, and having a junior practice range.
“We did every option to keep it open,” said Armendariz. “This decision was not made lightly.”
Farrow said he plays at all three golf courses yearly, which is part of what made it such a difficult decision to close Wanaki. “It was a very tough call,” he said. “It is about being fiscally prudent.” The county’s golf courses are designed to be fiscally sustainable, he said.
The closing was announced early, Farrow added, so people can make plans and provide input during the closing process.
“When we announced it, we knew that people would have concerns,” he said. But the county executive said he is open to feedback. “We look forward to it,” he said.
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