Holland Country Club may have new owner

Holland Country Club acreage may have Ottawa County as its new owner

By Greg Chandler | The Grand Rapids Press

December 09, 2009, 1:17AM

HOLLAND -- The Ottawa County Commission on Tuesday took a step toward acquiring most of the former Holland Country Club property, approving spending $75,000 for an option on 122 acres of the 145-acre property along the Macatawa River.

"This is one of the last large and significant blocks of land along the (Macatawa) Greenway corridor," County Parks Director John Scholtz said.

Commissioners voted 9-1 to take out an option, which gives the county until March 1 to close on the property.

The county would buy the property from Macatawa Bank Corp. for $450,000, with $100,000 to be raised by the Fillmore Township-based Outdoor Discovery Center-Macatawa Greenway Partnership and the remainder from the county parks levy, Scholtz said.

Parks officials had been looking at the site since Grandville-based Zylstra Land Co., which had considered redeveloping the site into an assisted living center, withdrew its offer.

"This Macatawa River property has served generations of golfers and other community members," Parks Commission President Ted Bosgraaf said.

He said acquiring the property would "enable the general public to enjoy and benefit from this significant property for future generations."

Possible uses include a greenway trail linking parks and preserves along the river; habitat restoration and water quality improvement, along the corridor through a partnership with the Macatawa Watershed Project.

The Parks Commission will likely do a master plan, seeking public input on what they would like to see done with the property.

Commissioner Bob Karsten, R-Zeeland, voted against taking out the option, thinking the county could ask for a lower price for acquiring the land.

"I just don't see who's going to buy it," he said. "It's one big lake in the spring. You can't develop it."

Holland Country Club, which had been open since 1921, closed and filed for bankruptcy in March after falling behind on a $1.55 million mortgage held by Holland Township-based Macatawa Bank Corp.

The property the county has taken out the option on is largely north and east of the river, and includes three acres or upland on the northeast edge of the site with the former golf course maintenance buildings.

It does not include the upland area with the clubhouse and parking lot, Scholtz said.

Macatawa Bank officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday about the prospective sale.

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