Jim King and Bob Fenwick, representing the Superior National Golf Course at Lutsen, visited Grand Marais City Hall on Nov. 30, 2011, to give councilors a “points of information” presentation about the 20-yearold facility.
King, chairman of the EDA’s golf course committee, said he has already talked with the town boards in Tofte, Lutsen and Schroeder in an effort to clear up some of the confusion and misconceptions about the golf course. King said the course was built on donated land and emphasized that no tax levies were used to build or buy the site. King said golf course administrators have been working to make the course a valuable partner in the Cook County tourism industry. “We’re trying to bring more money into the county,” he said.
Fenwick, recently hired as Superior National’s general manager, said he’s proud of what’s happened at the course during the past year and said he is looking forward to making the facility bigger and better. He said the golf course is a good area for use of the 1 percent sales and recreation tax. The goal, he said, is to make Superior National fully funded with its income revenue.
At the top of the list to achieve that goal, said Fenwick, is the need to bring the playability of the course up to the level of the venue, or elevate it to “resort-style” standards. That means the course will have to be expanded beyond its present limits, but only minimally. Fenwick said that a three-year expansion plan has received a “strong commitment” from the county board, and it is hoped construction can get under way in late 2012 or early spring of the following year.
“I think we’ll get it done,” the general manager said, adding that an exact timetable for construction won’t be known until environmental testing and permitting are completed.
King and Fenwick then asked councilors if they had any questions or concerns.
Councilor Tim Kennedy said one of his concerns is the longterm sustainability and adequate capital needed to re-invest in the course and do things that should have been done over the years but were not. Fenwick said the planned improvements will add revenue from each person playing, and hopefully some of those funds can be put away for maintenance and other improvements.
Mayor Larry “Bear” Carlson said he has been asked about the amount of tax money used to support the course and how we can afford a $10 million to $12 million golf course. King said those amounts are a little high, and Fenwick reiterated that the plan is to be able to set some money aside as golf course use increases.
Councilor Jan Sivertson said she believes the clubhouse is an important face to the whole place, and an upgrade may entice some people to play or return or to stay longer once they’re there, yet there is no money earmarked for such a project. King agreed, and said there should be a new clubhouse built in a different place—or, failing that, major improvements on the existing clubhouse—but there is simply no funding available.
Councilor Bill Lenz asked how many jobs would be created by the expansion project. Fenwick said two or three next year, and more in the long run. Fenwick also said course administrators are pushing “play and stay,” which will benefit not only Superior National employees, but local businesses too. “We want to work with Grand Marais businesses as well as those in the West End,” Fenwick said. King added, “We need to do more marketing for the entire county…not just the golf course.”
Mayor Carlson thanked the golf course representatives for stopping by and sharing their information, and Fenwick said they would be happy to come again whenever there were questions.
In other business:
. At the request of Chamber of Commerce Director Bev Wolke, council approved a Storefront Loan application from The Grand Marais Hotel Company for improvements to the Shoreline Inn. The $15,000 will be used to repair and/or replace 10 awnings, replace rotting timbers in the log walls in the parking lot, and for renovation of the front entry.
. Wolke said she was pleased with the participation in the Christmas parade and tree lighting ceremony, and thanked the city’s employees and councilors for their support of the event.
. Council approved the issuance of a $1,223.94 refund to a property owner to rectify an assessment error for the 2008 improvement project. The property was assessed as being 80 feet wide, but both city and county maps failed to show that a 10-foot section had been sold to the owner of an adjacent parcel long prior to the improvement project. The owner of the section in question, therefore, should have been assessed for only 70 feet, but paid the incorrect total in full and has since requested the refund.
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