Former Emanuel aide out of the shadows on golf project

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's former campaign manager came out of the shadows Monday to make the case for merging the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses into a single, championship-caliber course.

Michael Ruemmler's role as a founding director of the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance has fueled speculation that the fix was in for a project that gained momentum when President Barack Obama chose Jackson Park for his presidential library.

That conspiracy theory was further fueled by Emanuel's private emails. They showed that City Hall was laying the groundwork for the $30 million project nearly five months before Emanuel and the Chicago Park District went public about the project.

On Monday, Ruemmler categorically denied that his role as director of the nonprofit charged with raising private money to cover 80 percent of the cost has anything to do with his history as a City Hall operative who managed Emanuel's 2011 and 2015 mayoral campaigns.

"I am doing this because . . . it's a passion of mine. Golf has been something I grew up with. I was given a special opportunity by a family friend when I was a kid to get me into the game. It was a positive thing for me - something that's been a big part of my life. I would love to see that continue with kids here in Chicago," Ruemmler said.

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