A couple of weeks ago it was noted in this column that there were several hot-button issues that the Lycoming County Commissioners would have to deal with in 2018. The White Deer Golf Course is one of those that will be closely watched throughout the year. The County Commissioners have made it clear that this is a make or break year for the golf course.

For decades, the county’s golf course located off of Route 15 in Clinton Township has hemorrhaged money. Like a business owner who knows he has a great product but just can’t seem to get ahead of the bills, previous administrations have trusted that if they could just get over the curve, the golf course could really be a financial asset.

In October of 2015, a decision was made by the county commissioners to take roughly $1 million from a $5 million bond that Lycoming County issued in 2012 to fund infrastructure improvements at the county landfill and capital improvements at “recreational facilities”. In early 2016, the commissioners hired Billy Casper Golf (BCG) to operate the golf course. If anyone could turn around White Deer, it would be the BCG, recognized as one of the best golf course management companies in the country.

Ryan Peterson, an early thirties, super-sharp golf course manager was brought from the Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Sacramento, California by BCG to take the reins of White Deer Golf Course in March of 2016. And take the reins he did! Almost immediately he changed the atmosphere, such as initiating an Employee Thank You Day where the workers were given a meal and a chance to play on the course themselves. He has ensured that all departments are trained in best practices, emphasizing a ‘safety first’ focus. But turning around decades of loss does not happen overnight, so along with the guidance and direction from the corporate experts in Billy Casper Golf, Ryan worked a three-year plan of financial stability and course sustainability.

Anyone who golfs at White Deer has noticed the difference, from a more attractive clubhouse to better irrigation that keeps the course greener, to long-neglected bunkers that now have fresh sand rather than shale and boulders. Necessary equipment was purchased to keep the greens in pristine condition as well as the fairways neatly cut and roughs manageable. Overgrown trees were either trimmed or removed to improve scenery and improve the turf around them.

As critical and necessary as all these improvements were, Ryan and his team have made intangible changes such as changing the name of the “Challenge” course (which tended to scare novice golfers) to the “Heritage” course. Membership options rose from two to five, which better matches a wider variety of golfers needs, and resulted in a $15,000 increase in membership fees!

Yes, it does all come back to revenue, and in the first year of operation, the course had a $190,000 shortfall and the second year it was $90,000. However, almost of all of this was attributed to debt service from the various bond fees, interest from old loans, and line of credit interest from past years. The decision by the county commissioners to clear this to save money on interest will put the course on track to make somewhere between $25-50,000 profit this year.

But the value of White Deer Golf Course to the Lycoming County community is more than just providing a recreational outlet. In the past year alone, 60 golf outings were held which averaged $7-8,000 profit for organizations such as the American Legion and West Branch Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission. This means that over a half a million dollars was raised for charity with the help of White Deer. Last year Hope Enterprises made $60,000, their best fundraiser ever. For the past two years, White Deer has participated in the World’s Greatest Golf Outing, a program hosted by Billy Casper Golf at all of its 140 courses around the country. This event supports the Fisher House Foundation, which provides housing to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers. Amazingly, for the past two years, White Deer participants outnumbered every one of the BCG’s courses!

All things considered, perhaps this “hot button” may turn out to be an easy call for the county commissioners. It would seem that an institution that produces $25-50,000 per year, supplies $500,000 to local charities, provides top-level training and good employment to area residents, and at the same time gives a great golf outing for a local duffer for just $35 while not only maintaining but continually improving the course in excellent condition would be the very definition of success. Who wants to mess with success?