Thoughts on the university owning a golf course.
- Thread starter slwags
- Start date
Some people might get tee’d off by knowing this! 
Would also be a good practical teaching/research site for turf science program.
ASU built their own on-campus course 30 years ago thanks to fund raising including a nice gift from “Mr. Ping” Karsten Solheim. A few years ago the university decided to close the course in order to expand campus buildings, but only after completing an agreement with Phoenix to take over Papago Golf Course in East Phoenix on a long term agreement.
City courses across the country — actually the entire golf industry — have been struggling. A good example was Phoenix’s once renowned Papago Golf Course — so good that years ago golfers would camp in their cars outside the course when tee times were first come, first serve. Papago was spruced up and ASU added nice practice facilities. The closed ASU Karsten Course was available to the public, with priority given to ASU golf teams and ASU community. I imagine Papago has a similar arrangement.
Maybe a similar deal could be cut in Lincoln. But I would think NU would be taking on a money loser, another hand in the football program’s pocket.
Fallbrook would have likely included a quasi-home course for UNL if the blowhard who was running the Alumni Association at the time had been more committed to completing the project and less focused on lining the pockets of his family members.
I was told at one point that Nebraska is the only B10 university that doesn't have their own on-campus golf course for students.
University could manage Highlands. City golf program is run by idiots anyway. Might actually get Highlands back to what it once was.
Or could take over Holmes Lake course. Set to lose something like 49% of its trees because of the Ash borer. City will likely just let the course be and not replant or rework it at all. University would at least maintain the course properly and look to the future.
Or could take over Holmes Lake course. Set to lose something like 49% of its trees because of the Ash borer. City will likely just let the course be and not replant or rework it at all. University would at least maintain the course properly and look to the future.
I don't really care about it now but back when I was at UNL it would have been cool of they had a course that the students could use for cheap.
Now that "cheap" discounted student rate would be $30 on the weekend (probably more with cart) for a muni level course. And golf wonders why it has a player numbers problem.
Golf courses do have a player numbers problem but the players who do play expect quality and that costs money. I love golf and live on the first fairway of an excellent golf course in metro Phoenix. Our course has had major renovations including entirely new irrigation systems, rebuilt greens, bunkers, tees etc. The residents own our course and we pay for those expensive modifications but expect the players to pay most of the operating expenses and that means steep fees during the high season Jan thru April. I wish it was as simple as letting people play for $20 a round. Believe me, all of us with a vested interest have tried lots of ideas. Personally I see golf, especially private clubs, following in the footsteps of the Elks, Masons etc. Of course a new twenty year old Tiger Woods II to elevate golf’s popularity would help but as it stands almost 50 year old Phil is by far the biggest Phoenix Open draw.
Agree that courses are money pits. I say, develop a partnership with a current course. Build a separate building on the property for locker rooms, high technical computer indoor training lab, specialized weight room, coaches offices, some rehab area, outdoor driving range, chipping and putting area for UNL golfers only. Prefer UNL golfers for tee times.
Seeing the reference to Ager compels me to briefly steal this thread with one of the best golf stories ever — and unlike many golf and fishing stories this one was probably true, at least according to my aging memory.
In about 1980 then Gov. Charlie Thone had some type of event at Ager in which he and some of his staff participated. One of his staff was a woman who had never played golf. I assume she did do a little practicing to have a basic swing in order to play but allegedly had never played a round of golf.
On her first shot on the “challenging” 100 yard first hole, she took a mighty swing and hit a grounder that rolled and rolled and rolled until the hole stopped it from rolling any further.
There must be someone as old as I am who can confirm this story because it certainly sounds like fiction, doesn’t it?
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