Little choice, but some options, on golf course
The Lake County Forest Preserve District Board finds itself in a political sand trap over its decision not to build a golf course at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.
The board cited its fiduciary responsibility in last week’s decision, saying it was an expense the district could not afford and a project that would not be self-sustaining.
In doing so, commissioners broke a promise guaranteeing a golf course there in perpetuity that they made more than a decade ago to the U.S. Army, the villages of Highwood and Highland Park, and people who bought homes nearby.
It was the right decision for the good of Lake County as a whole, but it’s easy to understand the opponents who think they got a raw deal.
How the board reacts may be the difference between a community relations hole-in-one and a nasty slice into the woods.
Commissioners must be mindful of their weakened credibility as they move forward with a master plan to include trails, scenic overlooks and other amenities at the preserve, and they ought to find creative ways to reach out to those communities stung by the loss of the golf course.
They could, for instance, offer special golf discounts at the other district-owned courses or plan special previews and other events for affected residents before, during and after the master plan is developed.
The forest board had no good options when it resolved to ask the Army to drop the deed restriction requiring a golf course at Fort Sheridan. Original design plans came in $5 million over budget and the county has been unable to find a design that would be self-sufficient.
The golf industry is in a continuing slide, and there was no private-sector interest in building the course.
Meanwhile, the four county-owned courses have seen revenue and rounds played fall considerably in the last five years.
At a time when taxpayers demand that government cut unnecessary expenses, spending millions to build a golf course that will likely operate in the red isn’t smart business.
“Contracts are often renegotiated because conditions change,” Commissioner Pat Carey told the board.
That’s little consolation to a resident who bought a home in the Town of Fort Sheridan development expecting their deck would overlook the 9th hole.
County officials have stressed their plans for the preserve will do just as much as a golf course, if not more, to enhance nearby property values.
While that may be true eventually, the district still should be looking for ways now to ease some of the pain their decision couldn’t help but cause.