Irrigation first: Chelan begins next phase of golf course planning

CHELAN — City staff will begin exploring what potential third-party management options for the Lake Chelan Golf Course might look like after a June 18 joint workshop between the Chelan City Council and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, though officials stressed no decisions have been made regarding the future operating structure of the course.

What appeared far less open to debate was the need to replace the golf course's aging irrigation system.

Throughout the discussion, council members, parks board members and city staff repeatedly returned to the same conclusion: major infrastructure improvements, particularly irrigation, will be necessary regardless of who ultimately operates the course.

The workshop followed a National Golf Foundation study that found the municipal course generated approximately $1.7 million in revenue and nearly 30,000 rounds in 2025, but faces between $5.7 million and $7.3 million in recommended capital improvements. The report projected continued operating deficits when interfund costs are included and concluded that future revenue growth alone will not be sufficient to fund major capital needs.

Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Cooper guided council through the report's findings and the three operating models examined by consultants: continued city operation, a third-party management contract and a long-term lease arrangement.

After reviewing the report during meetings on May 21 and June 1, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended continuing city operation of the golf course while implementing operational improvements and developing a long-term capital funding strategy. Board members also ranked a property lease as a last-resort option.

Much of the board's discussion centered on preserving local control of the course while improving its financial performance.

Board member Mat Engstrom said one concern with outside operation is that a private company would be focused on maximizing revenue, while the city has a broader interest in maintaining the golf course as a community asset.

Board Chair Linda Reister said the course remains an exceptional value for local golfers and suggested many regular users would understand the need for higher fees if those increases were tied to improvements.

Reister noted that one group of annual pass holders calculated they paid roughly $11 per round last year because of how frequently they used the course.

Other board members emphasized that operational changes and capital investments must move forward together, arguing that infrastructure upgrades alone will not solve the course's long-term challenges.

Council members largely agreed that more information is needed before deciding whether continued city operation or some form of third-party management offers the best path forward.

City Administrator Laura McAloon said staff currently lacks enough information to make a meaningful comparison between operating models and recommended exploring interest from golf management firms.

"We don't feel like there's enough information," McAloon said.

McAloon said gathering information from management companies would allow the council to compare potential costs, services and management structures before making any future decision.

Councilmember Tim Hollingsworth supported learning more about what outside operators might offer while also stressing the importance of understanding the course's economics and future capital obligations.

Councilmember Agustin Benegas encouraged staff to continue developing operational improvements internally while management options are being explored, saying both efforts should move forward simultaneously.

Funding options discussed during the workshop included lodging tax revenues, capital fees charged per round of golf, rate increases, financing mechanisms, private contributions and potential future ballot measures. Councilmember Terry Sanders also raised the possibility of revisiting a metropolitan parks district as a long-term funding source for parks infrastructure.

At several points during the discussion, officials cautioned against interpreting the workshop as a decision on the course's future.

"And to be one million percent clear, we are not committing to any one of these three," Mayor Erin McCardle said, referring to the operating models presented by consultants.

McCardle offered a similar clarification regarding speculation that the city could eventually sell the golf course.

"We are not even considering" selling the golf course, she said. "Not an option."

Staff estimated it could take six to eight weeks to gather information from potential management firms and return to council with additional analysis.

Closing the discussion, Hollingsworth said the city appears positioned to finally address an issue that has lingered for years.

"I love seeing this problem that we've continued to kick down the road," Hollingsworth said. "We're finally, it feels like, making progress because we have a parks board and we have a council that is willing to tackle this issue."

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