Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Michigan Golf Journal ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ďĞ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟǌĞĚ ĂƐ part of an overall city golf program. >ĂƐƚůǇ͕ ƚŚĞ E'& ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĞĚ Ă ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ŽĨ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂů ƐĞŐŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞďǇ ĞĂĐŚ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ǁĂƐ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ Ă ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐĞŐŵĞŶƚ ƐŽ ĂƐ ƚŽ ƌĞĚƵĐĞ ŝŶͲŚŽƵƐĞ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ E'& ǀŝĞǁĞĚ ZĂĐŬŚĂŵ ĂƐ Ă ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů “premier” golf facility that would trade on its history and Donald Ross lineage. Rouge Park ǁĂƐ ƚŽ ďĞ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶĞĚ ĂƐ Ă ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ taking advantage of the challenging layout and ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ƌŝǀĞƌ ĨƌŽŶƚĂŐĞ͘ ŚĂŶĚůĞƌ WĂƌŬ ǁŽƵůĚ have the least change and be retained as a ĨĂŵŝůǇͲŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ ϭϴͲŚŽůĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŵĞĂƐƵƌŝŶŐ less than 6,000 yards in length. The greatest change would occur at Palmer WĂƌŬ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐĂůůǇͲĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƵƌ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ dŚĞ E'& ƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĞĚ ƚŚŝƐ ƉƌŽƉĞƌƚǇ ďĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĨŽƌŵĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ Ă ŚŝŐŚͲƋƵĂůŝƚǇ ŐŽůĨ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĐĞŶƚĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ĚŽƵďůĞͲĚĞĐŬ ĚƌŝǀŝŶŐ ƌĂŶŐĞ͕ Ă ϵͲŚŽůĞ ƐŚŽƌƚ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŐŽůĨ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐͬƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ Ăůů ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĞǆŝƐƟŶŐ front nine. The back nine could also be retained ĂƐ Ă ƐĞƉĂƌĂƚĞ ϵͲŚŽůĞ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͘ The idea would be to use this facility for Ăůů ƐŽƌƚƐ ŽĨ ͞ŐƌŽǁ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ͟ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞƐ ĂŶĚ increase the number of golfers in Detroit. The new Palmer Park could become the permanent ŚŽŵĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ &ŝƌƐƚ dĞĞ ŝŶ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞŶ ƐĞƌǀĞ as a driving range for the nearby Golf Club of Detroit, which doesn’t have one of its own. If properly developed, the Palmer Park facility could become a catalyst to help grow golf in ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ĂŶĚ͕ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞůǇ͕ ŚĞůƉ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŐŽůĨ courses in the area. ĂƌůǇ ϮϬϭϴ ĐƟŽŶƐ͗ ŌĞƌ ƌĞǀŝĞǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ E'& ƌĞƉŽƌƚ͕ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ŚĂƐ started to implement many aspects of the recommended plan. dŚĞ ĐŝƚǇ ĚĞĐŝĚĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶĚ ŝƚƐ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ŵŽŶƚŚͲƚŽͲ ŵŽŶƚŚ ĨŽƌŵ ŽĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůǇ ŝƐƐƵĞĚ Ă ĨŽƌŵĂů ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚ ĨŽƌ Ă ŶĞǁ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƚ ĨŽƌŵ ŽĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚŝƐ ŶĞǁ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ǁŝůů ĂůůŽǁ for the use of public money (either new debt or city reserves) to improve Rackham, Rouge and Chandler, while a new plan is developed for Palmer Park. The city created a new Palmer WĂƌŬ ƐƵďͲĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚĞ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ for facility upgrades and begin the fundraising needed to make it a reality. WĞƌŚĂƉƐ ŵŽƐƚ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚůǇ͕ ĞƚƌŽŝƚ ŽĸĐŝĂůƐ have made a promise to operate municipal golf in the city, one that includes a commitment to provide the necessary resources. In a city that faces as many challenges as Detroit, it may be a long road back for these ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ƉƵďůŝĐ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ͕ ďƵƚ Ă ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ĮƌƐƚ step has been taken to help save municipal golf in the Motor City. Click here ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĨƵůů͕ ŽƌŝŐŝŶĂů ƐƚŽƌǇ ďǇ E'&͘