Bridgewood Golf Course in Neenah will close due to competition, unpredictable weather

NEENAH - The nine-hole Bridgewood Golf Course will close for good at the end of the season and be put on the market for redevelopment.

Bridgewood, 1020 Cameron Way, once was an 18-hole course that extended north of Cecil Street. It has been a nine-hole course for the past 16 years and is the only golf course in Neenah.

The nearby Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center, Ground Round Grill & Bar, and On The Fringe mini golf will remain in business.

Owner Rich Batley said the golf course has struggled in recent years due to competition, unpredictable Wisconsin weather and shortened playing seasons. His comments came during the second measurable snowfall of October.

"The golf business has been very difficult for the last many years," Batley told The Post-Crescent. "It's kind of overbuilt, and with a nine-hole (course), it's even more difficult. We don't get a lot of the outings that occur because people want to use 18 (holes)."

The golf course has about 35 acres of developable land. It is surrounded by apartments on the east, businesses on the south, condominiums on the west and the Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center on the north.

"The land is actually more valuable than as a golf course anymore," Batley said.

Chris Haese, Neenah's director of community development and assessment, said the pending loss of the golf course is unfortunate.

"The course has been an asset for the community for many, many decades," Haese said. "It's always sad to see something like that go away."

Haese said the land, which is located in the center of the city, could accommodate a variety of uses.

"Anything is on the table now," he said. "Could you do additional condominiums? Could you do some type of commercial office? Could you do housing, whether that be additional multifamily, senior living or assisted living?"

Batley and general manager and part owner Ryan Batley said they would strive to find a use that is compatible with the surrounding development.

"We aren't just going to sell it off to the highest bidder and stick something in there," Rich Batley said. "It's got to fit with what's out here. We have a big investment out here with the hotel, Ground Round and conference center, so we want to make sure it blends in."

"It's important that we make this a win for the community," added Ryan Batley. "We live, work, play and raise our families here. We want this to be something that's not only beneficial for the community, but also is a win for our property that's already here on-site."

Ryan Batley said people have been "somewhat disappointed" upon learning of the forthcoming closure.

"A lot of people have made some great memories on the golf course," he said, "but everyone really gets it that this isn't a good business model in Wisconsin, especially when you make it a nine-hole golf course."

Source:  Postcrescent.com