PUBLISHED: NOV 27TH, 2006 – 5:29PM (EST)

UPDATED: AUG 26TH, 2016 – 6:34PM (EDT)

Chris Proffitt/Eyewitness News

Carmel – Soon, the City of Carmel will be a golf course owner for the first time. The city is buying Brookshire Golf Club for $2.6 million.

Brookshire is an 18-hole course located north of 116th, south of 126th and west of Gray Road. The commission is scheduled to close on the deal December 15th.

Monday was warm enough for a round of golf – on a course that has a future charted.

“Every owner, it seems, would come to us and want to develop parts of it. We didn’t want it developed. We want to preserve that open green space,” said Mayor Jim Brainard, Carmel.

For the first time, Camel is about to enter the golf business as owner of Brookshire Golf Club. The city recently agreed to buy the 18-hole golf course for $2.6 million, committing to improve Brookshire and make a profit while making the course affordable.

Dennis Gilbride lives near the course where’s he’s played 34 years. “This will not be a second-rate course like it’s been. Starved for money, upkeep and maintenance and you can’t do that with a golf course,” he said.

The purchase of the course soon brings the city’s parkland and open space to over 800 acres. It comes as Carmel’s Mohawk Hills golf course will close to make room for a $500 million development. NOTE – Also Known As – a pie in the sky project that never happened.

“We also want to ensure that there’s a well-managed, inexpensive place for children and families and retiree’s to learn to play golf and Brookshire’s a perfect place for that,” said the mayor.

Nearby homeowners, fearing Brookshire would be developed, say they’re thrilled with the Mayor’s decision that the city buy the course.

“The last five years, it’s been going downhill. So he saved our course for us and we’re very happy,” said Carole Gilbride, homeowner.

Five homeowners in a nearby subdivision are buying the club’s pool and will operate it independently of the course.

“It’s a positive thing for the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s very positive,” said Jobea Trefny, Brookshire Swim Club owner.

The move ensures that Carmel keeps public golf in the city while becoming its newest golf course owner.

There was little to no development concern as the Mayor stated because all but a small amount of the land is in a Flood Zone.

 

Brookshire Golf club 2015 study for Parks dept. City-of-Carmel

 

Summary page of property value and lost costs

Below is a comparison of the Costs incurred on Brookshire Golf Course ONLY. It shows the total cost plus expenses and operational losses to be $7.275M and if a buyer could be found a total estimated value of $0.850M at the high end of price range.

Additionally there was a small patch of 0.03 Acres or just over 1300 square feet that have an Assessed Value of $100 but owes $116,139 in back taxes or $89/sq ft. This is  a total of $3.87M/acre for what is un-developable land.

Assessed value of cell tower property is $100

Taxes due on Cell Tower site are $116,138.56

 

So how did that happen? To hazard a guess is it possible there were unpaid taxes due from the Brookshire Pool or Golf Course that were not paid but transferred to this 0.03 acres of land?