Council Votes To Shut Down Eagan Golf Course
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities golf course popular for players of all ages has had its last round.
Parkview Golf Course, Eagan's only 18-hole course, will not open this spring and instead will begin its conversion into a housing development.
In a controversial decision, the city council voted 4-1 on Tuesday night to shutter the course, paving the way for its 79 acres to be used for 177 new homes.
"It's a real loss for our city," said Mark Skweres, an Eagan resident who lives less than a mile from the course. "We've seen a lot of development in Eagan but Parkview and (adjacent Lebanon Hills Regional Park) are a wonderful green space. You can walk out there and feel like you're in the middle of a pristine wilderness."
Skweres and several other neighbors have expressed concerns about what a housing development could bring -- namely traffic, noise and pollution.
Owners, who purchased the course in 2001, said its closure was inevitable. Despite $1 million in changes and improvements, the course hasn't been profitable in several years.
The overbuilding of courses in the Twin Cities area has impacted demand. The course saw 37,000 rounds in 2011, down 25 percent from its peak, co-owner Robert Zakheim said.
Billed as "first-to-open, last-to-close" the 4,479 yard, par-63 course is a favorite of those learning the game and seniors who would rather walk than ride a golf cart.
"You can have an 80-year-old and a 10-year-old play 18 holes together," said Ann Kubes, a part time Parkview employee who lives near the course. "To see two people 70 years apart, play golf together, it really doesn't get much better than that."
