Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Michigan Golf News Editor’s Note: the following ƐƚŽƌLJ ĮƌƐƚ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞĚ ŝŶ mid-February is used by ƉĞƌŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ EĂƟŽŶĂů 'ŽůĨ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘ /ƚ ŐŝǀĞƐ ĂŶ ŽǀĞƌǀŝĞǁ ŽĨ ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟŽŶƐ to the City to save and improve its four golf courses. Since that ƟŵĞ͕ ŝŶ ŵŝĚͲDĂƌĐŚ Ă ƟĞ ǀŽƚĞ rejected a new management contract to keep the courses ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ͕ ƚŚĞŶ Ă ǁĞĞŬ ůĂƚĞƌ a new vote (demanded by the public) approved a contract for two-years – but only for three of the courses. This is an ŽŶŐŽŝŶŐ ƐĂŐĂ ŝŶ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ƉŽůŝƟĐƐ͘ SAVING MUNICIPAL GOLF IN DETROIT? By Richard Singer The Palmer Park Golf Course opened in 1927 and was the home turf for Detroit legends including Marvin 'ĂLJĞ͕ dŚĞ dĞŵƉƚĂƟŽŶƐ͕ &ŽƵƌ dŽƉƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂǀLJǁĞŝŐŚƚ boxing champ Joe Louis. One of the great hidden treasures of golf in our country ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJͲŽǁŶĞĚ ŵƵŶŝĐŝƉĂů course. dŚĞ EĂƟŽŶĂů 'ŽůĨ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ĐŽƵŶƚƐ ĂƉƉƌŽdžŝŵĂƚĞůLJ Ϯ͕ϱϬϬ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚͲŽǁŶĞĚ ŵƵŶŝĐŝƉĂů golf courses in the country, many of which belong to our ůĂƌŐĞƐƚ ŵƵŶŝĐŝƉĂůŝƟĞƐ͘ ŵŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ ĐŝƟĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŽƉĞƌĂƚĞ ŵƵůƟƉůĞ ŐŽůĨ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ŝƐ Detroit, which owns four public golf courses that date back as far as the 1920s. When Detroit’s economy declined, so too did the care for the city’s municipal golf courses. That unfortunate reality prompted discussion ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ĐůŽƐƵƌĞ ŽĨ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ͛Ɛ ĨŽƵƌ ĐŝƚLJ ŐŽůĨ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ Detroit City leaders openly debated the future of the courses in 2016 and 2017, with ŽƵƚƌŝŐŚƚ ĐůŽƐƵƌĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƌĞͲ ƉƵƌƉŽƐŝŶŐ ŽĨ Ăůů ĨŽƵƌ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ Ɛ Ă ůĂƐƚ ĞīŽƌƚ ƚŽ ƐĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJ ŚŝƌĞĚ E'& ĐŽŶƐƵůƚĂŶƚƐ to provide a thorough review of ƚŚĞ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ Ă ƉůĂŶ to save municipal golf in Detroit. tŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ E'& found in Detroit was a mix of ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůůLJ outstanding public golf courses with ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ and rich history.