Council directs administration to explore golf course recommendations

The clock is ticking for the members of the Rhinelander Common Council to make decisions regarding the future of the city-owned Northwood Golf Club.

The city’s contract with Oliphant Golf Management, the firm that has been operating the course for the city, is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024 and an ad hoc advisory committee, formed a year ago after the club experienced a significant loss of membership, is recommending the council return the course to its former designation as a city department and run it without the assistance of an outside management company.

The advisory committee also recommended the course be appraised so the city  will have concrete information as to its market value.

City administrator Patrick Reagan presented the recommendations during the council’s Oct. 28 meeting.  In a memo to the council, the committee members noted that the recommendations were made “after months of discussions, reviews of available budgets and financials, and a tour of the course and maintenance garages.”

“Northwoods Golf Course, separate from the Heal Creek property, needs to be appraised, regardless of the direction the Council chooses to take regarding the course’s future,” the committee’s list of recommendations reads. “Currently, we have an asset that we simply have educated guesses regarding its actual value. In the opinion of this committee, an appraisal seems to be a very common sense first step in the future of this course. An appraisal is also warranted as there was much discussion recommending the selling of the golf course as a viable option. An appraisal would also allow for the City to strictly adhere to its policy for land sales as adopted by the Common Council in May 2024.”

Secondly, “the course would be best served to be brought back as a City Department, without a management company,” the committee recommended. “Furthermore, the positions of General Manager, Groundskeeper, and Assistant Groundskeeper should be kept as full-time positions. This should be run as a city department and reviewed annually each year. If it is determined that the course is not showing meaningful financial improvement, the sale of the course should be investigated and considered.”

Finally, a “formal Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) should be developed for the course, including buildings, equipment, and a schedule of improvements for the course itself. As much as financially practical and possible, this CIP should be followed as strictly as possible.”

Alderman Steven Jopek asked for information as to the potential burden on the city’s human resources staff, if the golf course is once again an “in-house” department.

“Well, you pay Rachel (Pearson), who’s the HR manager, I mean you pay her a flat fee so it’s just gonna add more to her plate,” Reagan responded. “She would be the one to oversee that as far as HR goes so I don’t think there’d be a cost increase there. You’re gonna need to hire a general manager, a course groundskeeper, superintendent and probably an assistant as well, so those would all have to go out. Currently those folks that are out there are contracted employees with Oliphant.”

“I think this would be well within (Pearson’s) realm,” he added later.

In December 2017, the city council voted to terminate its relationship with golf pro Dan Buckley and restaurant operator Dave O’Melia. The city then hired an outside management firm, Green Golf Partners, to manage the course. As it turned out, that relationship was relatively short-lived and the city later turned to Oliphant Golf Management.

No one representing Oliphant spoke during Monday’s meeting.

As for the appraisal recommendation, it was noted that the cost for that service is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

 If the council is serious about selling the course, that expense would make sense, but it would be a high cost to absorb if the alders are not interested in selling, Mayor Kris Hanus opined.

“The question I would have for the board is are we even open to selling it because (an) appraisal is good for about six months and then it starts to become obsolete as time goes by,”  Hanus noted. “So unless we’re open to selling it in a year or so, I don’t know if there’s a value of spending that capital.”

“You’re going to have to decide relatively soon if you’re going to extend the contract (with Oliphant) or if you’re going to go and look for a different management contract,” city attorney Steve Sorenson advised. “That you’re gonna have to decide because December 31 you don’t have a contract and I can tell you if you’ve never run a golf course, you’ve never been involved with running a golf course, you have to be running the golf course in December, January and February. You can’t wait till April to start running a golf course...”

“It’s gonna be very difficult to appraise a golf course in northern Wisconsin,” he added.

Ultimately, the council voted to direct the city administrator and mayor to investigate and explore the possibility of reinstating the golf course as a city department.

The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 11.

The public is urged to watch the full discussion which is available at www.hodagtv.com.