The greens and fairways at Gunflint Hills came through the long winter and cold spring in relatively good shape. Crews have worked on them since the course has opened, and area golfers have commented on how well the course is playing. If cost to play is an issue, golf all you like after 5 p.m. for just $12 greens fees. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
More people are playing golf at the city-owned Gunflint Hills golf course this year than last; a good sign recent upgrades to the course and clubhouse are proving beneficial.
That was the report from Gunflint Hills golf superintendent Paul Jones to the Grand Marais park board at the board’s Tuesday, August 6 meeting.
This July’s revenue totaled $29,185, up $8,200 over July 2018. The 2019 year-to-date total revenue through July is $81,719, an increase of 23 percent, or $15,200 over 2018.
While season passes are flat compared to last year, daily fees are up 82 percent over 2018, bringing in $30,907 versus $17,000.
One area that is down is rental of golf carts, which is $11,459 compared o $13,789 last year, a 17 percent decline.
The YMCA golf tournament held July 28 was a tremendous success. Jones said staff did a great job preparing the golf course and clubhouse for the competition and the festivities that followed.
Gunflint Hills will be the site of this September’s Plein Air Grand Marais painting festival, which will take place September 6-13. Park report
North Shore Community Radio-WTIP submitted a special event application for their Radio Waves music festival that was unanimously approved.
The much-loved Radio Waves festival will be held September 6-8 once again at the back of the park at the bottom of the sliding hill.
Park manager Dave Tersteeg said July’s 2019 park revenue was down 3.3 percent ($10,000) versus 2018. Two categories drove the decrease from last July: camping fees were down $5,000, and fuel sales on the dock were down $5,000 from last July, Tersteeg said.
Overall, year-to-date revenues at the park are up 2 percent or $16,700 versus 2018.
With the preliminary 2020 budget due August 7, the park board began a conversation about upcoming capital project priorities. Tersteeg said emphasis on improving the park was done while keeping the city council priority to maximize park revenue in an effort to keep the levy as low as possible for the city’s taxpayers.
With roughly $655,000 in the park’s capital fund balance and the 2019 budget expected to add $147,000 to this balance, the park board has some money to work with, but not enough to cover all of the projects on the priority list: The landing in the Highway 61 corridor, $300,000; new entrance sign, $50,000; new bathhouse, $750,000; revisit/revise the Master Plan, $20,000; continued upgrades to sites, $20,000 annually; continued paving “needy” roads; continued purchasing new tables and grills, $10,000.
Other capital projects under consideration include: Renovate and landscape Harbor Park to add more event space and take away some of the maintenance (weeding, etc.). Tersteeg is hoping to replace and relocate the fuel pump to A dock to add more space and efficiency for boats to refuel.
Also being looked at: Upgrading electric and water sites to full hook-up with sewers; convert Group 1 camping corner to RV sites, and take a close look at Boulder Park and the Coast Guard parking lot with more visioning and planning.
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