Now what?
By Taylor Baxter
On February 2, 2021, the Pontiac City Council voted to purchase the Pontiac Elks Club property. In Illinois, golf unofficially begins in mid-March, weather-dependent, which gave us roughly two months to open the facility as a public golf course. With questions swirling from the public about the purchase and even more questions behind the scenes from staff members as to how we were going to pull this off successfully, we went to work. The following is a glimpse—from a municipality perspective—of how we answered those questions, as well as some insight into how the city and the local Elks Club worked together to transition ownership and operations of this once semi-public, 160-acre, 18-hole course.
One Question—Why?
Being in the golf course business was not in front of the mind in 2020 and 2021, and it certainly was not one of the big-ticket items during budget workshops. Regardless, when the opportunity presented itself, city officials dove in, trying to understand the benefits of keeping the golf course open. What would happen if this asset was no longer here? What impact would it have locally? The park department’s vision statement is “to be the chief provider of leisure services through the preservation and expansion of facilities, parks, programs, and greenspace for residents to enjoy.” If that doesn’t scream keeping a golf course in a community, what does? The role of parks and recreation is to provide experiences that promote healthy lifestyles, enhanced social connections, and fun in communities. In talking this over with staff members, it was decided that, if the acquisition went through, we were up for the challenge.