Should there be golf at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve?

It's been more than five years since crews tore up the 18-hole golf course at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve near Highland Park in preparation for the construction of a high-end course.

Proponents promised the new layout would be a jewel on the North Shore - but golf fans are still waiting for the chance to tee up.

In November 2004, the project was put on hold indefinitely after construction estimates came in millions of dollars greater than the $14.5 million Lake County Forest Preserve District officials had budgeted for a preserve overhaul.

The effort also was held up by a lawsuit over construction debris forest district officials said had been illegally dumped on the property by developers of the neighboring Town of Fort Sheridan.

The complaint was settled last year, however, and the debris was removed. With that obstacle cleared, some golf fans and Town of Fort Sheridan residents have said the forest board should refocus on bringing golf back to the preserve.

After all, they've said, the deal that allowed the district to acquire the property from the U.S. Army required a golf course to remain on the site in perpetuity. And many people were counting on that promise when they bought homes at Fort Sheridan.

But some critics of the golf plan have said this isn't the time to build a new course, high-end or otherwise. The recession and other factors have dramatically hurt the golf business nationwide, and many courses are losing money or closing.

Ralph Pfaff, president of a Fort Sheridan homeowner's association, has been one of the most prominent advocates of building a new golf course at the preserve. The forest board promised to build a top-shelf course, he insists, and it should keep that promise.

Conversely, Lake County Forest Preserve District Commissioner Steve Carlson has been one of the plan's most vocal opponents. The Gurnee Republican believes the district can improve Fort Sheridan without building a new course in a way that would be fiscally responsible in this troubled economy.

Commissioners and concerned residents will discuss the plan Friday, Jan. 30, during a special committee of the whole meeting at the Greenbelt Cultural Center near North Chicago. That meeting is set to begin at 9 a.m.

A decision won't be made at the session; district Executive Director Tom Hahn recently called it "the start of the conversation."