At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Rochelle city council unanimously approved a resolution to extend its co-ownership agreement of Fairways Golf Course with the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District for five years with another five-year extension that will take place at the end of the agreement unless either entity declines.
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ROCHELLE — At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Rochelle city council unanimously approved a resolution to extend its co-ownership agreement of Fairways Golf Course with the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District for five years with another five-year extension that will take place at the end of the agreement unless either entity declines.
The city and park district have jointly owned and helped to fund the golf course for a number of years. The course has seen high round numbers in recent years which has helped to decrease funding needs. Improvements are tentatively planned for the golf course in coming years including a pro shop renovation, tee box updates, cart path maintenance, and a pickleball court.
City of Rochelle Director of Community Engagement Jenny Thompson, who oversees Fairways Golf Course for the city, said the long-term agreement came due to the five-year capital improvement plan being made after a survey of golfers on what they’d like to see at the course in the coming years.
“The council asked last year that the agreement be longer so both entities know we're committed for the long term to keeping the course running,” Thompson said. “We are invested there as a city and I believe the park district is too. We came to a five-year agreement and next year we'll start trying to knock out those capital projects.”
Plans are in place to add a pickleball court in the spring at the golf course on the former tennis court site that has been used as parking in recent years. That was a top response on the survey and the city and park district received input from the Rochelle Pickleball Club, which has seen recent activity and growth in town.
The golf course will also be updating two more tee boxes after two were updated this year. Landscaping will be done around the cart barn as well, along with bunker renovations.
“I think the improvements are a sign that the course is alive and well,” Thompson said. “Yes, the city and park district put some money into it every year, but it's a really positive sign that people are using it and it's definitely an asset to our community that the council and the park board believe is worthy to keep investing in.”
Thompson said adding non-golf amenities such as pickleball to the Fairways property is a “win-win for everyone”, including Luna, the restaurant on the site that has also made recent investments. The new pickleball courts could yield tournaments to bring people in from other communities and keep them coming back.
The park district and city are excited for the next five years at the golf course, Thompson said. Other potential plans include the addition of a hitting and warm up area and landscaping work on the former site of the pond in the center of the course.
Fairways Golf Course has also seen drainage and sprinkler upgrades and the purchase of a couple of new mowers in recent years.
“It's just awesome to see things moving in the right direction there especially from not knowing where it would be before the city and park district took it over,” Thompson said. “When we first took over, the contribution each entity gave to the golf course was higher than it is today and that's just a testament to how well [Fairways Superintendent Mitch Hamilton] manages the course and the increase in rounds we've seen. We actually don't have to invest as much as we once did.”
Thompson said Fairways Golf Course is on track to have another record-breaking year in rounds in 2024. It will see over 16,000 rounds played this year. The course has seen the post-COVID-19 impacts on the golf industry, as the activity was one of the few allowed during the pandemic and courses drew and retained new golfers.
The culture at Fairways has become more family friendly and people of all ages are now seen playing at the course more, Thompson said.
“We're seeing a lot of kids golfing now,” Thompson said. “It's just really great to see so many people in the community being able to enjoy this amenity. Those high numbers help with everything else at the course. All signs are positive. We can only hope things stay that way and younger generations keep enjoying golf into the future.”