The city of Westfield is poised to close on the purchase of a new golf course next week and already the course may need to be redesigned in order to accommodate plans for a new housing development.
The development of more than 100 new homes is planned near the City of Westfield’s soon-to-be acquired Wood Wind Golf Club, according to plans presented at a recent city council meeting.
The city announced it had purchased the 147-acre championship golf course, located near 161st Street and Ditch Road, last week. Then city councilors were presented plans for the new residential development on Monday.
Wood Wind Golf Club will be Westfield’s first municipal-owned golf course, although it’s not uncommon for cities to own golf courses in Central Indiana. Indy Parks and Recreation operates 12 public golf courses in Marion County, and Carmel and Noblesville also own golf courses.
“There has been much speculation over the years about whether Wood Wind would remain a golf course with the residential development that has popped up,” Mayor Scott Willis said in a news release announcing the city’s planned purchase. “Since my first day in office, the owner has pitched ideas to develop the course into a high-density housing development. The city purchasing the course ensures that it will remain a community asset for decades to come and the open green space the area offers will be preserved.”
The Downtown Westfield Community Development Corporation will purchase the course for $3.1 million from Westfield Golf Club, LLC. The purchase includes all buildings on the grounds, the clubhouse and party pavilion, and site amenities, including two pickleball courts, golf carts, maintenance equipment, and furnishings.
The city is expected to officially close on the course by Oct. 1 but is already under contract to make the purchase.
“It’s important to note that the course is generating revenue and will continue to do so in the coming years,” Willis said in the news release. “The city will reinvest any profits back into the course for improvements and additional community amenities. It’s important that we have a public golf course available for all residents and our school district teams.”
Are public golf courses in Hamilton County profitable?
Carmel bought Brookshire Golf Course for $2.6 million in 2007 to save it from development. The 18-hole golf course is along Cool Creek between 116th and 126th streets west of Gray Road.
Brookshire is not profitable and has been subsidized by Carmel’s general fund in recent years. The golf course is estimated to bring in about $1.7 million in revenue this year, with about $1.9 million in expenses, according to information from the city.
Plus in 2018 Carmel spent $10 million on additions at the course, which included a 20,437-square-foot clubhouse, a 605-square-foot pool house and a new pool.
Noblesville owns Fox Prairie Golf Course, which opened in 1970, and Forest Park Golf Course, built in 1927. Both courses have always been owned by the city.
Before 2020, the city’s budget included a subsidy for golf operations, but since then the courses have been making a profit, according to Noblesville.
The City of Westfield has announced plans to purchase Wood Wind Golf Club, 147-acre championship golf course, for $3.1 million. (Photo: City of Westfield)
Wood Wind Golf Club could undergo redesign due to residential development
If approved by the city, the Woodwind East development would be built east of the Wood Wind Golf Club and north of 161st Street. It would include 186 single-family homes built around three golf course holes.
City Councilor Victor McCarty said he and other city councilors are seeking clarity on how the plans would fit in with the rest of the Wood Wind Golf Club course. It’s possible the course would need to be redesigned to take away three holes from elsewhere on the course, he said.
It’s unclear who would pay for that redesign and what that process would look like.
“It’s new territory and a very unique situation that we are getting into and have to navigate over the next several months,” McCarty said.
Some questions that weren’t brought up at Monday’s council meeting may be answered by developers at a neighborhood meeting planned for Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Westfield.
Jon Dartt, another Westfield city councilor, said it will be important for the developer to plan the three golf holes first and then lay out the lots for the homes.
“When you talk about somebody building a golf course, they lay out the golf holes, they lay out everything around it and then they say, ‘where can we put homes on it?’ Dartt said. “I don’t want to do this backwards.”
The Advisory Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on the development on Oct. 7, followed by a workshop on Nov. 18. Then the commission will make a recommendation and send plans back to city council for adoption consideration on Dec. 9.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
