Hansen at odds with company making a pitch to manage golf course

golf

On a recent KVNU For the People program, Logan Mayor Holly Daines said the city is looking at possibly bringing in a private company to handle the managing of the Logan River Golf Course.  In fact, a public hearing will be held Tuesday  night at 5:30 p.m. in the Logan City council chambers. The mayor said there have been discussions about this with some city council members and the Logan Golf Advisory Board.

The board then issued an open letter citing their displeasure with the company the city has been having talks with. The chairman of that board, Kevin Hansen, called into For the People last week to further explain why South Dakota-based Great Life Golf & Fitness is not a good fit for Logan City. Hansen said that just before the holidays a representative came and made a presentation to the city.

Some of the things he has said haven’t been true,” Hansen said. “He’s told the board that Birch Creek (Golf Course) was on board and that everybody in St. George was going to be on board.

“Actually, a group went out of St George, one of the pros down there sent a delegation back to Sioux Falls to view the golf courses and found that they were in poor condition. They weren’t watered properly. There (were) a lot of dry places.”

Hansen was asked, if the city is interested in getting out of the golf business, what business model would he like to see.

“I would think any individual who had some golf experience: a golf pro, a couple of golf pros coming in that know what they’re doing. Having a good superintendent down there to make sure that the city’s investment in the property is maintained.

“I think, above everything, whatever company comes in there needs to be some stipulations that the city puts on there. They can hold the management company accountable for the conditions that they took over.”

Hansen said right now the golf course has a good superintendent and golf pro and he would hate to see them lose their jobs by an inexperienced company. Again, golf enthusiasts and other concerned residents are invited to the meeting to review possible options for golf course management and seek public input.

AUDIO: Kevin Hansen on KVNU’s For the People on 01-23-2019

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2 Comments

  • Hilary Shughart January 29, 2019 at 12:16 pm Reply

    What makes you say that a fitness franchise model seems to be the future of golf course management? That’s contrary to what The Trust For Public Lands reports: “In some communities, locals opt to keep once-private courses in play under the management of a public parks department.” https://www.tpl.org/blog/when-private-golf-courses-land-rough-communities-tee-public-parks?utm_source=may_enews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews&utm_content=golf#sm.00016dijrvtw5d1mri118e1t1lpcg

  • Pablo January 29, 2019 at 1:10 pm Reply

    I hope a way is found to maintain the high quality of the River Course. Excellent greens and fairways on a course almost like no other in my experience. I think a rationale approach needs to be undertaken:
    1. Is new management indeed needed? If so why?
    2. Identify the issues and address them individually.
    3. Just “getting out of the golf course business” isn’t by itself a justification for change. Otherwise one can argue, get out of the trails and city park business.
    4. In my opinion the city course offers an amenity that adds to the quality of life of living in Logan, just as the university, theaters, parks, aquatic center, public transportation make Logan a much more livable city, far beyond what one expects in a town of 50,000.

    If Logan wants to experience real growth, attracting new businesses and technologies with folks moving here from out of state, it has to capitalize on the many advantages we enjoy here that allow us to be competitive with other locations after the same growth goals.

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