By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Stoneridge Country Club in the northeast corner of Great Bend has been called many things over its lifetime. But the 120-acre facility has been closed for nearly three years. Earlier this week, the Great Bend Rec Board took the first steps to give the club a title it's never had: public golf course. Great Bend Rec Enrichment Director Garet Fitzpatrick spoke with Eagle Media's Brant Daughtry about the project Tuesday on 1590 KVGB and 95.5 FM.
"We want to open up a quality facility where people are wanting to come here and play from out of town, local people," he said. "We want to host tournaments. We can get the college involved and they can host tournaments. The high school could host tournaments at the facility. We have a lot of organizations and a lot of people who can utilize this facility if we get it up and going again."
With golf being a lifelong sport for participants of all ages and fitness levels, Fitzpatrick said the Rec is excited about the opportunity and possibilities of renovating the course. But there are a lot of unknowns. That's why the Rec plans to hire Illinois-based consulting firm KemperSports, which powers more than 200 golf courses, private clubs, sports venues, and resorts around the United States, including Sand Creek Station in Newton.
"There's a lot do it," said Fitzpatrick. "We don't know all the ins and outs of golf, so we are bringing in a consulting firm, KemperSports. They're going to give us a budget; look at things, what we're needing, what we don't need."
Projects would likely include controlling the weeds that have been allowed to grow on the course, reseeding areas of grass, and implementing a new sprinkler system. Once the course is up and running, extra staff would be required to run the facility.
"It's something we're excited for, but we've got to make sure it fits the Great Bend Rec," Fitzpatrick said. "We don't want to take on this and have to drop all the leisure programs or cut back on the other sports programs. That's not what we're looking for. We're looking to see if it's feasible for us to run it."
The golf course project is still in the exploratory stage and Fitzpatrick had no timeline for the various steps in the process. He did say the Rec Board is optimistic that funds can be raised to make the project possible.
The Great Bend Rec Commission Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Investors interested in donating to the project can earmark contributions specifically for the golf course project.