Emerging From A Sand Trap

Emerging From A Sand Trap

Closing a city golf course is a decision more and more communities are facing, given the past 15 to 20 years of declining interest (albeit, 2020 is an outlier), budget shortfalls, and a golf community’s resistance to change.

5 min read

Repurposing a golf course into a regional attraction

By Bill Clevenger

Closing a city golf course is a decision more and more communities are facing, given the past 15 to 20 years of declining interest (albeit, 2020 is an outlier), budget shortfalls, and a golf community’s resistance to change. Here are six take-aways from a decision in Decatur, Ill., to repurpose an underperforming golf course into a regional attraction that highlights a centrally located lake and the creation of an interactive group of recreation facilities for the entire community and beyond.