Wareham golf committee gets started before May 1 course closing
WAREHAM – The Golf Course Advisory Committee’s first meeting Saturday unfolded on a bright, sunny day.
And although the temperature was in the low 50s, the committee members could see the links quickly fill with male and female golfers of all ages from the clubhouse windows of the Little Harbor Country Club.
That name may involve one of its first official acts. Visiting Select Chair Judith Whiteside recommended they discuss changing the name and signs to Little Harbor Golf Course to highlight its new Incarnation as a Municipal course owned by the town of Wareham.
The committee is actually up and running before the deal is completely done.
The Feb. 22 town meeting vote made the community’s preference clear, with a 423-to-34 vote in favor of the $ 2.6 million purchase of the 54-acre, 18-hole golf course that opened six decades ago on Little Harbor Road.
Of that purchase price, $ 2 million will come from Community Preservation funds – $ 1 million in cash and $ 1 million in a bond. The remaining $ 600,000 cash will come from the town’s free cash account.
The closing is set for May 1, and four steps have to be taken first – an environmental assessment must be made; a Perimeter survey must be made; an Appraisal must be made; and a memo of understanding on a conservation restriction must be made.
The first three are done, said Whiteside, adding the environmental and Perimeter surveys came out A OK, as did the Appraisal.
It was noted in the Appraisal that the land was otherwise zoned for 35 houses or 60 condo units’ development.
The conservation restriction agreement still needs to be Struck with a land trust or other non-profit entity. Since Community Preservation money is being used, the land has to be protected through the restriction. That was a selling point discussed at a town meeting. Even if the course fails, the land will remain protected from development.
Whiteside received the deadline for making the conservation restriction deal with a steward group on April 14.
A management company to take over operations at the course will be selected around that time, as well. Six management companies reportedly sent representatives to tour the course.
Town Administrator Derek Sullivan will make the decision on a management company. The first term would be for two years and seven months with two, possible one-year extensions to follow.
Though the committee’s role is Advisory, Whiteside said she felt sure that Sullivan would want their input on a decision. She said the committee will have a lot of information to Sift through and recommendations to make in a short time, adding that its help was needed with the town departments as understaffed as they are.
The purchase price is actually $ 2.3 million, which leaves money in case of any contingencies that might arise. They are aware of one already. The septic system will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $ 50,000.
The new board elected chairman Jim Giberti. He noted he first played the course when it opened.
Peter Hasenfuss was elected clerk. He started playing the course in 1973, and all three of his children grew up playing there, he said.
The other members are Thomas Hannon, who also played the course for many years; Brett Labonte, who’s been playing it since the late ’80s and said he’d like to encourage more younger players to come out as they once did; and George Barrett.
Barrett joked he may have only played the course half a dozen times.
But, he said, they had supported making it a Municipal course since Mass Audubon began considering its purchase, which would have discontinued golf.
Barrett said the town was in a “much better shape recreationally” with the property as a Municipal golf course.
Hannon said, “I’m super excited about the town taken to keep this course as it is.”
Barrett said, “I think that’s why we’re all here. We’re all excited to make this happen. “
He added the town meeting vote was eye-opening. “That vote meant more than anybody else’s rhetoric.”
Giberti agreed, saying they thought the purchase would pass but by a much closer margin, maybe just five or six votes.
Labonte said the Pandemic actually helped invigorate interest because of the course’s availability while so many avenues of Recreation were closed.