Nahant has the right idea to make sure town-owned Kelley Greens golf course is well-maintained for years to come.
Instead of treating the course as a cash cow, officials are soliciting bids from operators with the hope that the successful bidder will devise a plan for long-term improvements to Kelley Greens.
The bidder to be selected by the Board of Selectmen sometime in September to operate the course can negotiate a 15-year, maybe even longer, business relationship with the town through lease extensions.
The tradeoff is reduced annual rent revenue in return for a five-year lease with two extensions.
Golf courses are expensive and public courses pose a financial dilemma for municipalities interested in reaping revenue from operations while being mindful of expenses such as sprinkler systems, cart paths and tree trimming.
Lynn endured two years of debate over Gannon Municipal Golf Course’s future leading up to the city’s 2013 decision to award longtime groundskeeper Stephen Murphy and his firm an operations contract.
The result pleased Gannon members who trust Murphy and know his work. It has paid off with contractors undertaking long-overdue tree trimming work and other course improvements. Major projects loom in Gannon’s future. Big ticket items, like a new watering system, are likely to land on the taxpayer’s shoulders.
Potential Kelley Greens operators have until July 15 to submit bids which will be subjected to a rating system and a committee review. If Nahant is serious about improving the grounds and clubhouse, the opportunity to voice those priorities will come during the review process. Bidders must demonstrate financial stability and map out a course maintenance.
If all goes well, the Golf Course Management Committee in August will send to the selectmen a list of bidders with strong business track records who are willing to make stable rent payments while planning improvements at Kelley Greens stretching into the next decade.
