The news we all expected came down late Wednesday afternoon (in what we call a classic “news dump”–major news late on a day before a holiday or a weekend that allows it to be nearly forgotten by the time everyone gets back into their normal consumption patterns) that Oshkosh Corporation will buy a portion of Lakeshore Golf Course for construction of its new global headquarters. The announcement did not surprise those of us who golf at Lakeshore, as the powers that be were working behind closed doors even longer than we were initially told to make it happen.
So what do we do now? There are some that are pushing for redesigning what will remain of Lakeshore into a nine-hole public course. Personally, I doubt that it will be economically feasible. Plus, city officials have made it pretty clear they want out of the golf course business. That is why I and some other golfers have decided the best course of action is to move on and try to preserve the spirit of the game that was established over a century at Lakeshore.
We are looking at forming what I am calling the Oshkosh Golf Association. The three main goals would be to maintain the competitive traditions at Lakeshore–mainly the City Match Play Championship and the City Tournament–in some other form. We are also looking to continue youth programs started at Lakeshore and to increase outreach to under-represented communities through golf. And a final goal would be to establish charitable giving programs benefitting the high school golf programs in Oshkosh and perhaps provide scholarships for kids somewhere down the line.
I’ve already reached out to the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for advice establishing the Oshkosh Golf Association as a non-profit entity. Former Lakeshore pro Steve Ziblut and I will now be reaching out to potential leaders in this organization to staff volunteer committees overseeing finances, competition and outreach. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping to form and direct the OGA, feel free to contact me or Steve.
We may have lost our course, but those of us who enjoyed Lakeshore over the years won’t lose our love for the great game of golf or give up on the tradition, competition and comradery the venue provided. If there is one thing that golf has taught all of us is that you don’t just quit after a bad hole or a lost match. You bounce back, work a little harder and make yourself–or the game itself–better the next time.
