The golf course consultants hired by the county board to evaluate Superior National at Lutsen golf course and make recommendations for its success were excited to begin their work when they met with commissioners Tuesday, May 31, 2011.
Project Representative John Wait, president of Sirius Golf Advisors of Waxahachie, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida, and subcontractor Jeff Brauer, president of GolfScapes Inc. in Arlington, Texas, had briefly toured the course before the meeting. Brauer, a golf course architect who designed the courses at Giants Ridge, sees opportunity at Superior National. “Architecturally, the sky is the limit,” he said. “Your site is so spectacular!” He indicated he was eager to fix the course’s rough spots and design some enhancements as well.
“The role of golf in municipal situations has changed dramatically over the last 30-40 years,” John Wait said. Courses used to be local amenities that added to community life like municipal swimming pools and parks. Now, they are seen as a recruiting tool for new businesses, new residents, and tourists and a way to supplement a municipality’s revenue.
Wait said most of the work he does is for municipalities, and Superior National’s situation—a decline in use over the last decade and aging infrastructure—is better than those of a lot of other courses. “We have been able to show some dramatic turnarounds,” he said, “and I’m confident we can see some similar results here.”
The consultant team will visit and analyze other courses within a 100-mile radius of Superior National. Jim King of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA)-appointed golf course committee does not see the other courses as competition. He pointed out that many other courses have people who come from other places within easy driving distance, play golf, and go home, whereas most Superior National golfers play while in the county for more than a day. Superior National is not subsidized by a casino like Fortune Bay or by the Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) like Giants Ridge, he said. It might be a “loss leader” financially, King said, but it is “part of the fabric” of tourism in Cook County, an amenity that makes the area even more attractive. King said he would like to see the course brought back to the quality it was when it was built.
When they are done, the consultants will present options for dealing with the course. They will analyze the impact of doing nothing, of simply fixing infrastructure problems and replacing old equipment, and of upgrading the course to a higher quality.
Wait said that keeping the course in the black is not the only consideration—its impact on the local economy is a big factor. He was aware that selling the course has been discussed and said they would investigate its marketability. He would like to see selling it as a last resort, he said, because he believes it is a valuable asset to the county.
Jim Hall of the EDA said the public needs to know that a lot of other courses are subsidized. Superior National has borrowed money from the county to make it through the winter months, but it has paid back its loans every year. Commissioner Jan Hall said she thought a lot of Cook County residents want to see the course continue to support itself, even if that means not upgrading it to a luxury course.
Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said he wants to see a clearer picture of the course’s finances. King agreed, likening the way the financials have been reported to “a rat’s nest.” With the help of CPA Bob Spry of the EDA, they are working on getting the financial picture in a format that can be understood at a glance.
Jim Hall said the course should tap the Cook County Visitors Bureau—funded by lodging tax revenue and member businesses—for marketing the course.
People might not come to Cook County just for Superior National, Commissioner Jim Johnson said, but they might decide to golf a few rounds after they’ve been here hiking for a few days.
Sirius Golf Advisors will complete its analysis and have its recommendations ready in a report by July 15.
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