VAN WERT — This time of year has often been dubbed the “season of giving,” with shoppers giving money to bell ringers at the store or soup kitchens receiving that extra pallet of food. The YMCA of Van Wert County received a rather unusual donation Thursday, as it is now the owner of an entire golf course.
Mark White, owner of Hickory Sticks Golf Club, located south of Van Wert on U.S. Route 127, completed the transfer of ownership of the approximately 170-acre golf club to the YMCA Wednesday, with both White and representatives from the YMCA, including CEO Hugh Kocab, on hand at the club Thursday to make their public announcement. The YMCA will receive the entire 18-hole golf course along with an additional 34 acres of an adjacent 9-hole links-style golf course.
For Kocab, the acquisition of the public golf course represents a tremendous opportunity to foster more physical activity in the region, an opportunity which began rather innocuously.
“[White and I] were both in the CVS [Pharmacy] here in town,” he said. “We know each other, and he said, ‘Hey, you want a golf course?’ I said, ‘Yep,’ and from there, we did a lot of research and checked to see what we could and couldn’t do.”
White had owned the club since 2009, but he found it increasingly difficult to run the facility with fewer people tending to participate. By giving it to the YMCA, he is hoping that it will find new life, fitting in well with the mission of the YMCA.
“It’s an asset to the community to come out and golf,” White said. “This is a recreational facility, so its mission statement ties in with the Y and what they’re doing. Golf courses are tough and the amount of play is down, but for a not-for-profit YMCA to take it over with no debt, hopefully the community will rally around it.”
Along with traditional golf, other activities like disc golf and foot golf will be incorporated, Kocab said, with an emphasis on attracting young people to the sport.
“There’s a gap,” he said. “You’ve got some 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds that are starting to pick it up, but the next group is 14, 15, or 16. So our plan is to reach out to all the schools. We’ve got three school teams here now and would like to grow to five school teams.”
Seniors can also benefit from the activity offered at the course, Kocab said.
To help promote the course, the YMCA is offering dual membership packages that include a YMCA membership, greens fees, a range pass and unlimited cart usage for $1,080 for a single adult and $1,428 for a family. Members at other YMCAs will also be able to golf at the club for a reduced rate.
To learn more, contact the YMCA at 419-238-0443.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
