Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Michigan Golf Journal NGF’s 2017 Review: Rackham GC includes a historic clubhouse and Donald ZŽƐƐͲĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĨƌŽŵ the 1920s (although it was ƉĂƌƟĂůůLJ ƌĞŶŽǀĂƚĞĚ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /Ͳϲϵϲ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ϭϵϴϴͿ͖ Ă ĐƌĞĂƟǀĞ ƌŝǀĞƌƐŝĚĞ ŐŽůĨ ůĂLJŽƵƚ at Rouge Park GC ͖ Ă ĨĂŵŝůLJͲ ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ ϱ͕ϴϬϬͲLJĂƌĚ ůĂLJŽƵƚ at Chandler Park GC and the ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŐŽůĨ ůĂLJŽƵƚ ŽĨ Palmer Park GC , which used to be ĂĐƟǀĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶƐ that included many famous Detroit legends from sports and the “Motown” music industry. Yes, the city of Detroit was in the ŐŽůĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ business, although ĐŝƚLJ ŽĸĐŝĂůƐ ĚŝĚŶ͛ƚ seem to know it. Over the years, the city courses had fallen into disrepair, with severe ĚĞĮĐŝĞŶĐŝĞƐ ŝŶ ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ůŝŬĞ ŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶƐ systems, drainage and ĐůƵƵƐĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ Ɛ Ă result, the courses became less desirable and many patrons began to gravitate toward newer courses in the suburbs. ŬĞLJ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ E'& ĨŽƵŶĚ ǁĂƐ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ǁĂƐ Ă ŇĂǁĞĚ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ ŽĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞďLJ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJ leased the courses to a local ŐŽůĨ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Įƌŵ ŽŶ Ă ŵŽŶƚŚͲƚŽͲŵŽŶƚŚ ďĂƐŝƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŶŽ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ͘ Ɛ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ͕ the managers were hesitant ƚŽ ŝŶǀĞƐƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ Ͷ ĂƐ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ŽŶ Ă ƐŚŽƌƚͲ term contract. /Ŷ ƐŚŽƌƚ͕ ƚŚĞ E'& ĨŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ Detroit’s courses weren’t being mismanaged, they were simply being neglected by a city that didn’t value their presence or ĐŽŶƐŝĚĞƌ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ĐĂƉŝƚĂů needs. Detroit golfers sent warnings to city leaders, but no ĂĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ƚĂŬĞŶ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟĞƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƉŽůŝĐĞ͕ ĮƌĞ and other basic services taking precedence. NGF’s Plan for Detroit: Ɛ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ E'&͛Ɛ ϮϬϭϳ review, a plan was presented to the city showing what would have to happen to save its golf courses. &ŝƌƐƚ͕ ƚŚĞ E'& ŝŵƉůŽƌĞĚ ƚŚĞ city to make a commitment to golf. It couldn’t be done halfway; the choice for Detroit came down to making a full commitment or giving it up. ^ĞĐŽŶĚůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ E'& ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĞĚ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŝƚŚĞƌ included direct investment by the city, new private investment in exchange for a ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚ͕ Žƌ ďŽƚŚ͘ While the courses needed to be repaired and improved, the urging was that the