To address the recent article that was written in the Madisonian newspaper that was not prompted by the Madison County Golf Association, the board would like to acknowledge the initial concerns.
First and foremost, the land that the Madison Meadows Golf Course operates on is owned by Madison County, which has a contract for the management of the land, its facilities, and its amenities with the MCGA Board of Directors. This contract states we are responsible for the direction and management of “all real property and the improvements.” It also states, “COUNTY may, if it desires and after formal consultation and approval of ASSOCIATION, make additional improvements, develop or construct, and/or maintain existing or additional improvements on said real property, including, but not limited to, the tennis courts.” It goes on to further state, “swimming facilities are exempted from ASSOCIATION approval except for consultations regarding placement.”
As a board, we are first tasked with maintaining and operating the golf course, and we will always act in a manner that will be of benefit in that regard first. The idea of a new combined pro shop, restaurant, and community/recreation center was first brought up in discussions with the County about the new agreement/lease of the land to the MCGA. This idea initially piqued some interest due to discussions on maintenance and the overall well-being of the existing pro shop, as well as the future need for expansion to allow for more space and a better option for food and beverages than a drink cooler and candy bars to serve our members and guests.
In accordance with our agreement with the County, very preliminary discussions took place during regularly scheduled open MCGA board meetings to develop an idea around the feasibility of a project like this. From there, the Lion’s Club, as well as MCGA, had been in discussions with the Pickleball Club (who attended numerous open MCGA board meetings) about their wants and needs for a location to play Pickleball as they conducted research on a potential partnership location. The Lion’s Club conversations led to an option for money raised from the sale of a donated home located on the golf course to go toward the overall funds if the preliminary discussions of a new facility located at the golf course ever took flight.
The MCGA board made the decision to form a separate committee that would be responsible for handling further conversations about the facility and reporting back to the board to keep the idea alive and ensure the board remained informed if discussions progressed toward a more realistic plan. At this time, there is no formal proposed plan or funds to facilitate the construction of a new combined pro shop, restaurant, and community/recreation center. However, we are keeping the idea alive to fully vet the feasibility and opportunity that has been developed thus far.
Our goal is to manage the golf course and provide an experience that is of the utmost quality while growing our revenues to further support the ability to provide this experience at our golf course first. Our goal is also to be forward-thinking and continuously involved in opportunities that can elevate offerings and serve a wide range of residents, nonresidents, young people, seniors, and families who live in and visit our community to explore all that Ennis, Montana, has to offer. While most of us would love to keep Ennis the same way it has been for many years, we also have an obligation to stay fluid and use our abilities to sustain the growth of our community and explore the amenity offerings that could be available to everyone in the future.
To summarize, discussions about a new facility located at the golf course are still in very preliminary stages. Contrary to the article in The Madisonian and the wave of questions and concerns that have come up, the MCGA board has and will always make decisions and act in a manner that supports our golf course, our employees, and its voting members first.
We will continue to record any discussions around the preliminary new facility in our meeting minutes and provide direct updates if and when any further movement occurs.We encourage all of you to attend our monthly board meetings and bring your questions, comments, and concerns to the board directly. This past meeting was a great example of this, and it is thoroughly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Madison County Golf Association Board