City leaders break ground on golf course upgrade

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Paul Brenner, the chairman of the Spencer Municipal Golf Course Board of Trustees and Spencer Mayor Reynold Peterson give a new clubhouse its ceremonial start in south Spencer. [Order this photo]

The current clubhouse at the Spencer Municipal Golf Course gets a little damp and a little crowded at times.

Monday morning's golden shovels were the first step in doing something about that.

City and golf course officials came out for the groundbreaking to launch a $290,800 clubhouse construction in south Spencer. It's the first major expansion at the site since the course was expanded from nine holes to 18 holes for the 2001 season.

"I'm just glad to see it's coming to a reality," Spencer Mayor Reynold Peterson said. "It's been eight years of planning since the (18-hole) expansion and we're finally going to see an end to it."

A new clubhouse has been on the golf course board's five-year plan since they purchased 82 acres and reconfigured the course for 18 holes, according to Paul Brenner, the chairman of the Spencer Municipal Golf Course Board of Trustees.

"The existing clubhouse was in terrible shape then and hasn't gotten any better," he said.

The building was only capable of seating about 50 guests for an event or for golfers to wait out a weather delay.

"We have had events of up to about 200 people," Brenner said. "The clubhouse will only hold about 50, so the option would be to have it be inside and outside, but then you're awfully dependent on the weather."

The new 60-by-80 foot clubhouse will go up about 60 yards east from the present site. The east side of the new clubhouse -- a proposed sun room -- will be right next to the practice putting green.

The current clubhouse will either be knocked down or sold. The site will then be converted into a parking area. Construction will begin Nov. 1 with a June 15 completion date targeted.

Brenner hopes volunteer assistance will keep the cost of the clubhouse project under control. Volunteers will be called upon to finish cosmetic aspects of the new clubhouse, such as painting, wallpapering and carpeting.

Plans don't include a full kitchen, but food can be catered in for big events. Golf course employees will continue to operate a snack bar with hot dogs and microwave sandwiches at the new clubhouse.

The Spencer Municipal Golf Course was originally known as Grandview Golf Course. It opened as a private course, using temporary greens, in 1974. A citizen petition encouraged the city to purchase the course in 1976 and a name change came with the acquisition.

After years of management by the Spencer Park Board, a golf course board was formed in 1984. Work expansion to an 18-hole course began in 1999 with much of the work taking place in 2000. The Spencer Municipal Golf Course was reopened in 2001.