Nahant selectmen approve new lease for Kelley Greens

NAHANT – Selectmen approved extending the Kelley Greens of Nahant lease at the town’s golf course for five more years, along with making what they said were modest increases in greens and membership fees.”The company has an additional option for five years, and things are going very well,” Golf Committee Chair Carol Nelson told the board of selectmen at its meeting last week. “For the first time, the per-round fee will be increased by $2 and for the second time, the yearly membership fee will increase by $25 across the board.”The company Kelley Greens of Nahant, which is owned by Michael O’Callahan, began leasing the town-owned, public 9-hole course in January 2007. The company agreed to a five-year contract with an option to renew for another five years, paying the town $111,000 in 2007 and increasing that amount by $2,000 each year of the agreement, Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said. Selectmen also agreed to bi-weekly payments rather than monthly payments.According to the Kelley Greens website, greens fees currently range from $12 for a resident to play nine holes during the week to $28 for a non-resident to play 18 holes on a weekend or holiday. All will increase by $2 in 2012. The website lists annual membership fees ranging from $200 for a junior membership to $1,500 for a nonresident husband and wife.Nelson told the selectmen that the fees were still less than comparable golf courses. She also reported that the number of golf rounds played had slightly decreased, as weather caused the cancellation of a few tournaments this summer, but business at the restaurant was better this year. The extension of the lease goes until Jan. 1, 2017.