UNT offered land for golf course

MeanGreen61 · March 12, 2006

Paragraph on money needed for stadium & baseball.

UNT has offer of land for 18 holes

Developer proposes space for golf course, but school would need money to build

08:52 AM CST on Sunday, March 12, 2006

By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer

The developer of 3,400 acres southwest of the Denton Municipal Airport wants to give the University of North Texas some land to build a golf course.

The developer, UNT officials and the Denton City Council, which is expected to annex the property this summer, all like the idea, but acknowledge many details need to be worked out before such a thing could become a reality.

The Stratford Co., which plans to develop the area known as Cole Ranch, has offered to give UNT about 300 to 350 acres along Hickory Creek to build a championship golf course suitable for NCAA competition and for the public.

UNT Athletic Director Rick Villarreal estimated it would cost between $7 million and $10 million to build a good golf course, and that’s just the first hurdle the university would have to overcome.

“All the money would have to be privately raised, and the golf course would have to financially sustain itself,” Villarreal said. “It’s still just a discussion. We have a period of time to look at the feasibility of it. If it’s not feasible, we won’t go forward.”

He said he also has to keep that project in perspective with other athletics projects UNT is trying to raise money for, like a football stadium, estimated to cost about $40 million. UNT also needs money to start a baseball program.

Dave Denison, vice president of the Stratford Co., acknowledged the university’s work will take some time, and said his company will move forward with its request that the city annex that property this summer.

“Rick has so much on his plate right now,” Denison said. “This is a little bit of a back-burner deal for them, and that’s OK. We’re going to let them come along at their own pace.”

Denton Mayor Euline Brock said a new UNT golf course would certainly be a boon to the city, especially if it were a public course.

“Anything that promotes either of our universities is a benefit to the city,” Brock said. “It’s an image problem to think that the UNT golf team has to go outside the Denton city limits to play.”

That also takes an economic toll on the city, she said, because UNT’s out-of-town opponents eat, sleep and spend money in cities other than Denton, Brock said.

Until 2003, UNT owned the Eagle Point Golf Course adjacent to the Radisson Hotel. The hotel leased it from UNT and operated it. But because of financial problems with the golf course, the hotel and university agreed to cancel the hotel’s lease, and UNT retook control of the golf course.

UNT’s golf team had not played on that course for several years before that.

Then the university closed the golf course and built athletics facilities and a residence hall on the property. More athletic facilities, including a new football stadium, are planned for that property.

That move in 2003 caused a lot of angst among residents in the neighborhood surrounding that golf course because they said their home values would decrease.

Some of those residents remain upset by that move and said a new university golf course would not sit well with them.

Linnie McAdams, one of the most vocal in the opposition to UNT’s action at the time, said one of UNT’s biggest reasons for closing Eagle Point Golf Course was that it was not feasible to operate.

“If they decide now that a new golf course is feasible, I think the neighborhood would feel it was not good planning,” McAdams said. “I would hope that any university would be looking more than four or five years ahead in planning.”

Alice Gore, another resident who opposed the closing of Eagle Point Golf Course in 2003, said she would not see a major problem with UNT having a new golf course, but that the city could not afford to lose that land from its tax rolls.

But Mayor Brock said there is no comparison between that former golf course and the proposed new one.

Eagle Point Golf Course was in bad repair, and at less than 160 acres, it was too small to be worth the expensive repairs it needed, Brock said.

“That golf course had few people playing on it,” she said. “The hotel was managing it and was having trouble, so they were turning it back over to the university. It would have needed enormous repairs, and it was not large enough to do the kind of improvement that it needed to be a championship course. There’s no relationship between those two.”

Denison said if UNT determines it’s not feasible to build a golf course, the company might consider a private golf course, but it’s likely the area around Hickory Creek would instead become a green belt.

Villarreal said a golf course could become a benefit to the whole community. It could be a championship course on which UNT’s golf team could host tournaments. Also, it could be open to the public sometimes and it could host several high school tournaments.

“It’s not just about our golf team, it’s about the whole community,” he said, though he emphasized UNT could take up to two years to determine if a golf course is feasible.

NT80 · March 12, 2006

He said he also has to keep that project in perspective with other athletics projects UNT is trying to raise money for, like a football stadium, estimated to cost about $40 million. UNT also needs money to start a baseball program.
Then the university closed the golf course and built athletics facilities and a residence hall on the property. More athletic facilities, including a new football stadium, are planned for that property.
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Nothing new here really about other facilities that wasn't previously known. What I'd like to see is an updated timeline on everything and a REAL fundraising update and specific drive for each venue. Of course that would take supporters that have confidence in the direction of the programs and I think there needs to be some discussion about that too. Too many secrets.

Zeke · March 12, 2006

Nothing new here really about other facilities that wasn't previously known. What I'd like to see is an updated timeline on everything and a REAL fundraising update and specific drive for each venue. Of course that would take supporters that have confidence in the direction of the programs and I think there needs to be some discussion about that too. Too many secrets.
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Unfortunatly I don't think there is a secret here. If we don't hear an update I think we have to take it as there is NO update to give.

NT80 · March 12, 2006

Unfortunatly I don't think there is a secret here. If we don't hear an update I think we have to take it as there is NO update to give.
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True. But you can't motivate people by waiting for them to become motivated on their own.

DeepGreen · March 12, 2006

True. But you can't motivate people by waiting for them to become motivated on their own.
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I think it's called leadership.

March 13, 2006

Unfortunatly I don't think there is a secret here. If we don't hear an update I think we have to take it as there is NO update to give.
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If there is no update to give, then it must be time to change people in athletic development as would mean that they have accomplished nothing. No, I think that there has been some progress but perhaps it's an embarrassing amount to publicize.

If the university is serious about advancing athletics and their facilities, they would hire some students part time to solicit from more than 100,000 alumni and several thousand more deep-pocketed friends of the university.

On another note, I'm for changing the name of the Mean Green Club to the Mean Green Association. How many clubs do you know that do not even hold ONE meeting per year.

ntsumgspe · March 13, 2006

On another note, I'm for changing the name of the Mean Green Club to the Mean Green Association. How many clubs do you know that do not even hold ONE meeting per year.
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I've often wondered why there isn't any type of meetings as well. Other than "meeting" at the deck or the Mean Green room.

I think it would be beneficial to have some sort of a "kick-off" to the football season function. Have all the MGC members and their "alloted" guests, coaching staff, AD, etc. meet at the new Athletic Center for a meet and greet. Just a thought.

flyonthewall · March 13, 2006

I have gone to a "kickoff luncheon" for the past three years. It has been in the gateway center and DD speaks. As for as the funding for the football stadium, Lee Jackson has to decide to support a capital campaign fund just like happened with the new Athletic Center. People pledge a certain amount of money over time, and then the University loans the money to build the stadium based on pledges.

NT80 · March 13, 2006

I have gone to a "kickoff luncheon" for the past three years. It has been in the gateway center and DD speaks. As for as the funding for the football stadium, Lee Jackson has to decide to support a capital campaign fund just like happened with the new Athletic Center. People pledge a certain amount of money over time, and then the University loans the money to build the stadium based on pledges.
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I think he was referring to a MGC function, like the old Quarterly Meetings. I don't recall any kickoff luncheons recently, just the end of season awards banquets. I also don't recall any call for an AC Capital Campaign of members. Maybe we're missing some invites here?

ntsumgspe · March 13, 2006

I think he was referring to a MGC function, like the old Quarterly Meetings. I don't recall any kickoff luncheons recently, just the end of season awards banquets. I also don't recall any call for an AC Capital Campaign of members. Maybe we're missing some invites here?
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You are correct.