Chelan approves new golf cart lease, launches long-term study of Lake Chelan Golf Course’s future

CHELAN — The City of Chelan is taking both short-term and long-term steps to shape the future of Lake Chelan Golf Course, approving a new fleet of golf carts for the coming season while launching a broader strategic study aimed at answering a bigger question: how the course should operate, and sustain itself, in the years ahead.

At its Jan. 13 meeting, Chelan City Council approved a new five-year lease agreement for golf carts and heard an update from staff on a comprehensive study that will examine the course’s finances, operations, and long-term role in the community.

The cart decision is the immediate piece. Interim Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Cooper told council the city’s current cart fleet is at the end of its term, and the structure of the existing lease has created operational challenges, including a mid-season cart swap.

“As we talked about in the workshop last week, our current fleet is up this year, and the terms of the current agreement have a mid-season change of the carts, which has posed some operational challenges,” Cooper said.

Under the new agreement, the city will acquire a new fleet over the winter so the 2026 season begins with new equipment. By timing the lease during the off-season, Cooper said the city secured lower rates than it would have in the spring, saving money over the life of the contract.

There is a one-time early payoff of about $20,000 to close out the current lease, which will push total cart expenditures this year to about $91,000, above the $80,000 budgeted. Cooper said the difference will be balanced through reductions elsewhere in the department’s first budget amendment. In future years, the new lease is expected to cost about $71,000 annually, less than what the city has been budgeting.

Golf course staff selected Club Car as the cart brand after reviewing warranty and lease terms. Councilmember Shane Collins was pleased at the level Parks and Rec had solicited internally.

“I think Club Car is a great brand of golf carts,” Collins said, adding that he was glad golf course staff had been part of the selection process and “selected some good carts.”

Cooper reminded the council that carts are not just a convenience for golfers, but a significant part of the course’s business model. Last year, Lake Chelan Golf Course generated more than a quarter of a million dollars in cart rental revenue. Because the course operates as part of the city’s Parks and Recreation system, that revenue flows back into the city budget and helps offset costs that would otherwise fall on taxpayers.

“Last year, the golf course made $300,000 in revenue off of our golf carts,” Cooper said, adding that reliable equipment is part of both the golfing experience and the course’s financial health.

While the new carts address the next few seasons, the city is also beginning a much bigger conversation about the course’s future.

Cooper told council the Parks Department has been authorized in the 2026 budget to hire a consultant to conduct a full strategic review of Lake Chelan Golf Course. The city issued requests for proposals to five qualified golf course consulting firms and received four responses. A selection process is now underway, with staff reviewing proposals and checking references.

The city has budgeted $30,000 for the study and expects to select a consultant within weeks, with work beginning in late January. The goal is to have results by the end of the first quarter or early in the second quarter of the year.

“The purpose of this work is to ensure that the Lake Chelan Golf Course remains financially sustainable, well-maintained, and accessible for public use, while supporting its role as a valuable recreational and community asset,” Cooper said.

Unlike a previous study that focused more narrowly on current operations, Cooper said this effort is designed to look further ahead. The scope includes an operational and site assessment, a financial analysis with projections, a review of different operating models, and recommendations for long-term strategy. That could include, councilmembers confirmed, examining options such as third-party operation or other structural changes.

Stakeholder engagement is a central part of the study. Cooper said the consultant will work with city staff, councilmembers, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, golf course staff, and community members. Focus groups are expected to include representatives from the men’s and women’s clubs, school programs that use the course, and local golfers, with staff also exploring ways to incorporate feedback from visiting players.

Taken together, the two actions reflect a dual-track approach. The city is investing in the equipment that keeps the course running smoothly today, while also stepping back to reassess what Lake Chelan Golf Course should look like in the decades ahead, and how it should be structured to remain both a community asset and a financially responsible part of Chelan’s parks system.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media