The task force created in September to determine the cost of a renovation to Les Bolstad Golf Course has released its recommendations.
In a report released last month, the task force recommended changes to the course and its dysfunctional clubhouse that are estimated to cost about $7 million. University President Eric Kaler had set a $7.5 million limit for the project in September.
Both the course and the clubhouse are more than 80 years old. But after years of use and disrepair, both need upgrades.
A top priority for the golf course renovation is the improvement of course conditions within property boundaries, the report said. The task force recommended installing a new irrigation system to replace the current 30-year-old system, resolving drainage issues that plague the course, rebuilding green complexes and resurfacing all tees, fairways and greens.
The repairs would cost between $3.9 and $4.9 million, according to the report.
An additional $2.06 million would be used to renovate the first floor of the clubhouse and enable the use of its second floor.
The estimated cost also included $655,200 for a new course maintenance and storage facility and $185,000 for a new cart storage facility.
The task force, which Kaler requested in the fall, was composed of seven members, including chair Allen Levine, Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences.
The group met several times and worked with numerous golf course stakeholders, including John Carlson and Michele Redman, coaches of the University’s men’s and women’s golf teams, respectively. The group also consulted Bryan Sanders and Greg Jamieson from the Department of Recreational Sports, which manages the course and developed the original renovation plan.
The task force recommended the project be funded entirely by private fundraising. If donations and monetary gifts exceed $7.5 million, they would be used for course improvements.
The task force recommended the University include the project in its Six-Year Capital Plan, the report said. If that happens, the group will likely meet again to prepare more specific recommendations for course improvements.
