Community split on downsizing Bonnie Dundee Golf Club
A proposal to downsize a golf course and create a community park at Bonnie Dundee Golf Club in Carpentersville has received mixed reviews from community members.
Though several residents believe more public park services are needed on the Dundee Township Park District's east side, many others — particularly golfers — don't want to see nine of the course's 18 holes closed.
While mulling over the future of the 105-acre golf club, parks officials have been seeking community feedback on a concept plan that would convert about 40 acres into a full-service park with athletic fields, trails, playgrounds and picnic areas.
The rest of the land would still be used for golf services. The proposed project would aim to address a deficiency in public space that caters to all residents, rather than a niche group, parks Executive Director Tom Mammoser said. It would cost roughly $2 million in capital funds, which could be paid off over 20 years.
The park district last month selected 21 community members of various ages and recreational interests to attend a meeting about the future of Bonnie Dundee.
Of the participants invited, nine prioritized maintaining an 18-hole golf course, six wanted the entire property to become a public park, and six favored the compromise of a nine-hole course and a smaller park.
The park district has also received input from several other residents, Mammoser said, the most vocal of whom oppose reducing golf services.
Sleepy Hollow resident Frank Raczon, who worked at Bonnie Dundee in the 1980s, said the $2 million could be better spent on fixing up the revenue-generating golf club facilities. If downsized, he said, Bonnie Dundee could lose business from avid golfers and leagues, most of whom are only interested in playing on an 18-hole course.
“What they're spending (the money on) has us a little worried because it has so little revenue potential,” Raczon said. “Why not invest in something that has a chance to make income?”
Mammoser said the golf course has already been declining in use and revenue in recent years. Bonnie Dundee lost an average $122,634 annually over the past four years, he said, and the industry's popularity has decreased nationwide. But a lull in recreation is normal after a recession, Raczon said, and the park district should give the golf course a chance to bounce back. He suggested officials consider other east side properties better suited for a park.
Carpentersville resident Russ Morehead, also a former trustee, backed the project, saying more parks on the east side would fulfill the park district's mission of providing recreational opportunities to all taxpayers.
A decision has yet to be made at the park board level, Mammoser said. Commissioners will continue reviewing residents' feedback and could revisit the proposal at a May meeting.