Wellington officials agreed this week that there could be some value in purchasing the Binks Forest Golf Club, but brought up a number of concerns that would need to be resolved before completing such an acquisition.
The Wellington Village Council authorized its staff to further explore the possibility at its agenda review meeting Monday.
In February, the council authorized a preliminary review of the idea after the current owners expressed an interest in selling the golf course. Director of Operations Jim Barnes said village staff had completed an initial review of the property.
“This is a follow-up to discuss it as a group and get some additional direction as to what our next steps might be,” Barnes said, explaining that they had inspected the course’s condition and compared it with other public and private courses in the area.
The owners had done an appraisal, which valued the property at about $3.6 million. He said the figure being discussed was closer to $3 million.
“Based on the condition of the facilities and our estimates as to how we would operate — and we have a lot of different options on how to operate it — we see that probably our initial effort would have us operating at a loss,” Barnes said.
That projection assumes that Wellington would operate it as a golf course and banquet facility, at least for the short term, until the condition of the course could be improved to a higher quality than a regular municipal facility.
“The value of that improvement could be anywhere from three-quarters of a million dollars on up,” he said. “We would have to determine the level in which we want to operate.”
Vice Mayor John Greene suggested that the village write a letter of intent and explore the condition of the course more thoroughly.
Barnes said the inspection they had done was preliminary, but that village staff did not want to proceed any further without specific direction, adding that the idea has not yet been discussed with the nearby homeowners’ associations.
He felt that village staff members had gone as far as they should without further direction from the council, adding that the owners had indicated that they would like a firmer commitment from the village.
Currently, membership at the club is low, but that does not reflect rounds played. Village Manager Paul Schofield said the rounds played would have to increase to about 35,000 per year in order for it to be marginally profitable.
Mayor Bob Margolis pointed out that the course was deed-restricted and they would need to discuss with residents how the property would be used. He added that this acquisition would not be like when the village purchased the Lake Wellington Professional Centre, which was a profitable entity.
“The expectation of it to have more play would have to be a high expectation with more improvements,” Margolis said.
Councilwoman Anne Gerwig noted that other local courses have gotten more competitive. She said that a community meeting with input from the HOAs is necessary before going much further.
“The closer it is to their back yards, probably the more they are going to want us to take it on because they don’t want the eyesore they had before,” Gerwig said, referring to a long period when the course was closed and became overgrown before it was acquired by new owners. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable for us to proceed without asking for public input.”
Margolis agreed. “It’s a little surprising to me that we haven’t heard more feedback about the possibility of the village taking over the facility,” he said.
Margolis added that there had been discussion of increasing profitability of the clubhouse by focusing more on renting it out for events.
Greene said he felt $3.6 million was high. “I don’t think the capital investment up front is going to be recovered, but I hope from an operational standpoint, we would be breaking even or better,” he said. “I would be OK with that because I feel there is some real value when you offer a venue like a municipal golf course. There’s a lot of benefit when you look at the potential as a park and a golf course.”
Greene added that he could justify the purchase price, but was worried about other costs.
“I do get concerned about the unknown,” he said. “I would support it at this point. I don’t know what we need to do at this point with the consultant or inspectors to really go out and understand what we’re looking at.”
Yet Greene said he thought the course has the potential to once again provide a great service.
Gerwig suggested a possible partnership with the current owners. She was also concerned about the loss of tax income if the village were to acquire it. Barnes said the tax revenue is about $48,000 a year.
Greene asked about the cost of a feasibility study, and Barnes said it would be less than $10,000 because many of the assessments would be done internally.
The council agreed by consensus for staff to send a letter of intent to the owners in order to open up some of the records, which have been confidential up to this point.
Not a penny nor a dime of taxpayer money for Binks Forest – Golf Course!!!
Let the residents of Bink’s Forest buy and pay for their golf course views and increased property values because they chose to live in a Golf Course/Gated Community. They were fools to buy there in the first place. Lennar never promised them a golf course “FOREVER”. Lennar and every real estate agent sold them an “ILLUSION”!
Caveat Emptor!
PS…Saddle Trail Property Owners wants payed roads than let them pay for it. Binks Owners want golf course views than let them pay.
This would be the SECOND bailing out of the Binks Golf Course by ALL the rest of us who live in the Village.
The first time Binks was in trouble, the Council at that time became intimately involved in the buying/selling of the Binks course. The Council’s own lawyer, at the time, flew to New Jersey to ‘help’ with the deal. We paid for that! And he was a resident of Binks!
All the rest of us in Wellington have to take care of their own neighborhoods and have to beg and borrow to get the Council’s attention; while Binks Forest residents get SPECIAL treatment by the Village. Why is that?
Look at what the nearby residents of KPARK have to do.
Look at what the residents of EASTWOOD have to do.
Look at what SUGAR POND MANOR residents have to do.
Look at what the residents of YARMOUTH residents have to do.
Look at what the residents of the EQUESTRIAN area have to do.
But Binks….that’s a different story. The Council will bend over backwards and immediately respond and do anything to help them even if it means spending millions of our money to buy and run a FAILING golf course.
Is it because the good ole boys in Bink are friends with the good ole boys currently in power? Does that mean that the rest of the Village residents should shoulder the cost to buy, maintain, run the FAILING golf course in Binks’ backyard?!
Binks residents want the rest of Wellington to preserve THEIR view forever!
Some facts from the Council’s Agenda Review meeting on Monday of this past week:
Binks is LOSING money.
If purchased Binks would CONTINUE losing money
Binks has 20, that’s TWENTY, current members of the golf course.
It would cost everyone in the Village anywhere from $750K to $2 MILLION PLUS to upgrade golf course.
It would cost everyone in the Village to Improve and maintain Binks Clubhouse. (the Village hasn’t checked out the building yet!)
Meanwhile important infrastructure in Wellington is being slowed and delayed because of costs.
1.needed traffic improvements at the chaotic Stribling and Pierson Rd.(the Council is ‘stealing’ money from some other budgeted project to fund this)
2. road improvement at Ousley Sod Farm Rd and Greenbrier are needed
3. the Village is crack sealing roads instead of resurfacing them. (but Binks Forest Drive did receive better patching so it wouldn’t look bad as requested by a Council person)
4. The FPL Lines that swath thru Paddock Park 1 is nothing but weeds and trash. Where are those landscaping improvements thru there?
5. Palm Beach Ranches had to come out and beg for the long time promised landscaping improvements near the FPL area in their neighborhood
Road projects, infrastucture are being slowed because of costs but THIS Council can direct the manager to find Money to BUY and RUN a FAILING GOLF COURSE?!
Golf Courses around the USA are FAILING!
The Village would have to hire a company to run the golf course and/or clubhouse (that’s our money going to run a golf course when money is needed for other many infrastructure projects in Wellington)
All residents would have to pay for the ONGOING maintenance of the CLUBHOUSE
The Village would be COMPETING with the other golf courses IN Wellington- Wanderers, Greenview Shores Golf Courses.
The Village would be COMPETING with other nearby golf courses just outside of Wellington- Madison Green Golf Course in Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach County’s own golf course-Okeeheelee Golf Course.
Why was there no discussion about the finances of Madison Green and Okeeheelee Golf Course and how they are struggling during Monday’s Agenda Review? How much to they spend to run their golf courses?- oops, don’t mention that information.
The Village would be COMPETING for business with it’s OWN underconstruction Civic Center for renting out rooms for banquets and other special occasions! (Let alone other golf course clubhouses in Wellington trying to do the same.)
How come it was “No” to buying the Wanderers’ Executive Golf Course but a “Yes” to proceed with Binks? When the Wanderers would have become an people’s park and an equestrian park and would be FREE to use? Binks would cost everyone just to play!
Something is rotten in the state of Wellington.
Priorities are skewed, certain groups within Wellington get special deals while the rest of the Village residents have to struggle to get this Council’s attention and make do.
Who was leading the discussion at the Agenda Review and what is his occupation? What Council member used to live in Binks Forest? What other Binks residents held or currently have been appointed to committe positions?
Also take note that this Council is having Town Hall meetings during the Summer months when people have planned vacations and are away. Everything is being squeezed into the summer months, not during the months when everybody is here.
Funny how this Council can direct the Village Manager to “find” money to purchase a Failing golf course business and then lament when they can’t find monies to fund other things for the rest of the Village residents.
Binks gets special treatment. There is no denying that!