Front Royal Golf Club members ask tough questions in response to closure effort

An aerial view of the golf course on the banks of the Shenandoah River from the club website.

On Tuesday evening the Warren County Board of Supervisors made its case for a court petition allowing it to remove golf as a use of the 62-acre property that was gifted for the use of county residents as a golf course in 1938.  That gift was from the William Carson family in memory of their son Billy, an R-MA student who died at age 16.

County Administrator Doug Stanley presented the County case in a 35-minute presentation that preceded a public hearing called by the supervisors for public input on its effort to alter usage of the property.

The county purchased the property in 2005 from the entity created to manage it with the continued stipulation that “the current nine (9) holes for golf located on the 62 Acre Parcel, will be used and maintained only for golf.”

The county administrator presents a history of the golf club and indicators of rising costs and a national trend toward golf club closings due to non-profitability. One disgruntled club member asked after the meeting if that trend might not make it more important than ever to keep the County’s municipal course open. Photos/Roger Bianchini

However, the County contends that changing times and annual revenue losses make the golf designation obsolete and an undue financial burden on county’s taxpaying citizens.  But Stanley’s power-point presentation citing annual financial losses and the arrival of additional venues for local golfers as justification to alter the 80-year-old gifted usage agreement played to a tough crowd.

See Royal Examiner’s accompanying videos for the full public hearing and county presentation.  But continue to read for a summary of the exchanges of viewpoints as a primer for what you will see on video.

That tough crowd Stanley played to included current club members, many with past ties to Warren County Public Schools and its athletic programs.  Those included Yates Hall (WCHS baseball coach), Bill Lawson (WCMS Athletic Director), and Bob Myers (WCHS football coach and AD) leaving this reporter flashing back to his sportswriting days in this community.

FR Golf Club members gathered in support of the club’s continued existence included former WCHS baseball coach Yates Hall, blue shirt front, WCHS football coach and AD Bob Myers, black shirt second row to right, and WCMS AD Bill Lawson, white shirt center.

But it was club member Staige Miller Jr. who led off the public hearing counterpoint to the county’s contention that shrinking membership – now estimated at around 100 – and annual financial losses estimated as high as $110,000 have created an intolerable burden on county taxpayers.

As for the claim of undue financial hardship on county taxpayers, Miller observed that one-quarter of a penny of county real estate tax revenue could cover even the top-end revenue deficit estimates of $100,000.  Each penny of county real estate tax produces slightly over $400,000 of revenue.

In a comprehensive prepared statement of 15 minutes, Miller presented an overview of the club membership’s case against the closure of the golf course in favor of a more profitable enterprise.  The current County plan is to plant trees on the golf course and convert the property to general recreational uses like hiking and horseback riding and expansion of the river access.

Staige Miller Jr. outlined the club membership’s stance that the county administration is holding the golf club to a double standard compared to other parks and recreation programs. And he noted the claimed operational deficit could be supported by at most, a quarter of a penny of county real estate tax revenue.

However, Miller, whose father Staige Sr. was a former county supervisor, referenced club membership suspicions about the County’s ultimate plan for the property.  Stanley also referenced some online posts alleging County subterfuge, including burning of the old clubhouse – “That was a comment this week” he noted – or that the property would be residentially or commercially developed as part of the Corridor Agreement.

Stanley dismissed such online theories, noting the County “did not burn down the old clubhouse” and that the property was not cited as part of the corridor agreement for future development.  Miller also acknowledged that Board Chairman Tony Carter has directly denied that the county plans to facilitate residential or another type of profitable development on the property.

As others would after him, Miller asked which governmental departments, particularly parks and recreation programs, operated at a profit?  Why, he wondered was the golf course the only parks and rec program presented as a budget line item indicating profit/loss margins?

“Is this Board dedicated to reviewing all parks and recreation programs and abandoning all those that do not make a profit or, at best, recover through user fees approximately 75% of the program’s operating costs? – You might as well close down parks and recreation,” Miller told the board of a perceived double standard.

He also pointed to annual charitable events hosted at the course, including Camp Fantastic, a summer event for children with cancer hosted for 10 years, and the Waggin’ for Dragons fundraiser boat race for the Humane Society of Warren County operation of the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter.

“Has anyone considered these uses of the golf club and its facilities? Or is everyone more concerned about the approximately one-quarter cent on the real estate tax to fund the golf course deficit?” Miller asked the county’s elected officials.

Of the nine public hearing speakers, only former Shenandoah District Supervisor Richard Traczyk spoke in support of the County effort to drop the golf course usage.  Traczyk was a member of the board in 2005 when the property was purchased.  Traczyk towed the county government line that management of a municipal golf course had become too great a burden on the county taxpayers to support a recreational use utilized by so few citizens.

Former county supervisor Richard Traczyk returned to the county to offer support of the County plan to drop golf as a too-expensive recreational operation to maintain. He prefaced his remarks by noting some old friends present in the gallery might not be glad to see him back after he spoke.

Several of the eight speaking in support of maintaining the golf club suggested if the county government could not live up to the original Carson family deed of gift on the property, that rather than convert the property to other municipal uses, it be returned to the Carson heirs.

Local attorney Nancie Williams told the supervisors she had been appointed by Circuit Court Judge Clifford L. “Clay” Athey as guardian ad litem to represent the interests of the county’s citizens for whom the property was gifted in 1938.  Williams warned the county’s elected officials that they were wrong if they thought that their court petition to change uses of the property was simply a necessary formality to achieve the County’s goal of altered usage.

“I will let you know now that you are in litigation and it is up to the Warren County Circuit Court to decide whether or not you can change the use of this golf course.  And let me tell you now that litigation in Warren County is a full-contact sport,” Williams said of her commitment to the recreational interests of county citizens in place for the past 80 years.

Attorney Nancie Williams promised a vigorous representation of county citizens’ recreational interest in the golf course gifted to them 80 years ago by William Carson in memory of his son. According to the club website, Carson designed the course, the county’s first.

Williams said the County would be asked to prove its financial and other claims about the property in court.  She added that a power point presentation would fall short of that necessary proof in a court of law.

As for the County’s claims about how and why the municipal golf club had become an unprofitable tax burden on its citizens, several speakers addressed what they perceived as a concerted effort by county officials to diminish the course and its membership as a means of reaching this point of legally seeking to alter the property’s usage.

Some asked why the identity of the current person or entity that presented a non-golf usage proposal in response to the County’s third Request for Proposal (RFP) has not been revealed.  Stanley’s power point presentation noted that the County remains in negotiations with that entity even though a non-golf usage for the property is not currently legal.

Others questioned the County’s rejection of a private-sector golf club management offer in response to the County’s first RFP on a management contract.  The County power point presentation noted a second RFP had received no responses.  In past discussion with Royal Examiner Stanley indicated the initial golf management proposal was rejected because it did not offer the County enough in return for the requested operational management contract.

Others wondered why course maintenance has deteriorated making the course less enjoyable to play.

“If you don’t have good management you will fail. It seems the club has been set up to fail, especially this year,” Ernie Tugman told the supervisors.

Former WCHS baseball coach and teacher Yates Hall thanked the supervisors for their commitment to improving educational and athletic facilities for the community’s students and youth.  Then he asked the county’s elected officials not to forget its citizens, like him, at the other end of the age spectrum

Former WCHS baseball coach Yates Hall implores the supervisors not to ignore the recreational facilities needs of the county’s older citizens who, like him, may have passed their athletic primes.

“Now it’s time to consider me – I’m in my 70’s, I can’t run, I can’t jump, I can’t throw but I do appreciate walking around the golf course.  And walking is good – it’s an appropriate recreational exercise that doctors would recommend for someone my age.  So, I would say maintain the golf course for us older folks,” Hall implored the supervisors.

Hall also joined Tugman in suggesting that if county officials could not justify the effort or expense to properly operate the historic golf course, that the property be returned to the Carson family heirs.  Those heirs, nine of which county officials have said they have contacted, also have a guardian ad litem representing their interests in the legal petition to alter the property use. Carson heirs located, will support FR Golf Club usage change request

The final public hearing speaker said she had not planned to address the board, but felt compelled to after hearing the earlier comments.  Diedra Bellu wondered why the County had followed through on a decision to close the course for three months in the winter, months that are now as likely to see spring weather as winter.  Other speakers had cited the loss of 35 members to other county golf courses following the decision to close for the winter, estimating a potential annual revenue loss of as much as $50,000 from that membership defection.

“It’s an absolute shame,” Bellu said of her husband’s description of the current condition of the course upon which he will report having lost five balls on the fairway.

Diedra Bellu called the golf course’s current condition ‘an absolute shame’. She also questioned continuation of the County’s decision to close the course for three winter months – a decision others said cost the club 35 members and up to $50,000 in annual revenues due to current winter weather patterns allowing golf year round.

Closing the public hearing, Board Chairman Carter joked that he had “lost six balls” on the course “when it was maintained.”

Carter thanked citizens for their input, noting there was no action scheduled that evening.  As he opened the public hearing following Stanley’s presentation, Carter said, “Maybe we can learn something and try to keep it open.”

However, in closing the public hearing 45 minutes later the board chairman said the next step was going to court as the County continues to pursue court authority to alter usage of the property away from golf.

Carter attempted to blunt the membership claims of years of county mismanagement of the golf club.  Rather he asserted, as Stanley had recounted during his 35-minute presentation, that county officials had tried to make the municipal golf club a viable part of the county’s parks and recreation operations – “We have tried, we have tried profusely as Mr. Traczyk said,” Carter asserted.

During his power point, the county administrator noted one effort to bring a hotel to the property to bolster its revenue potential.  That effort fell through when the investor lost financial backing during the economic downturn, Stanley indicated.  Since that failure another investor is nearing completion of a Marriott Hotel just down Golf Club Road from the municipal course property, Stanley also observed.

Stanley also pointed to the property rental arrangements to help facilitate the Dominion Power plant construction project that had pumped significant revenue back into the golf course or its payment.

Despite these assertions, it seems the county is dealing with not only lost long-term revenue opportunities, but also long-term lost trust among the remaining members of the Front Royal Golf Club.

And it now appears it will be the court system that decides the final outcome of this dispute over a project the county government took on 13 years ago with, as Staige Miller observed “eyes wide open” – referencing the County’s signed purchase stipulation that “the current nine (9) holes for golf located on the 62 Acre Parcel, will be used and maintained only for golf.”

A shot of the course during better days. Photo/Courtesy WC Administration