Finally, the other shoe from the city of Lake Forest and the crown jewel of a community asset, Deerpath Golf Course, has dropped. As predicted by many observers, the surrender of the management of the course to Kemper Management years ago seems to have been nothing more than a well-crafted strategy for the city to finally rid itself of that pesky tar baby, Deerpath Golf Course.
More Top Picks Dewalt Dwpw2400
The justification? This facility required subsidies from the city to balance the budget. Furthermore, owing to the many residents of Lake Forest who belong to private golf clubs, Deerpath is not needed or used by the community at large. Sounds reasonable, or does it?
Not so fast. Before we accept the premise advanced by the city: Because the city elites who are club members do not use Deerpath, should the pedestrians, who are not private club members, be denied the opportunity to play golf in Lake Forest? What is the actual out-of-pocket cash drain to sustain the course?
Is the Deerpath Golf Course such a burden that it must be disposed of? Does Deerpath not represent an asset that adds value to the community at large for real estate values and aesthetic and recreational appeal for new home buyers and new residents?
Finally, running a new park with walking trails and other amenities will not be free. What will be the net cost (cash operational costs minus revenue) differential of subsidizing Deerpath and the operational cost of maintaining a new park?
Are we perhaps traveling a preordained path to scuttle Deerpath and ignoring those troublesome questions of concerned citizens and the reality of the facts?
Al Boese
Lake Bluff