Jack Adamson has been a member of the Baldoon Golf Club for 55 years and he’s been in charge of the senior men’s league for the past 24. All of that may end this fall with the planned closure of the Wallaceburg-area course.
“It’s a damned shame, but I don’t think anything can be done about it,” he said Friday as he headed out for a round. “I don’t blame Jim (owner Jim Hawryluk), but it doesn’t make me any happier about it.”
Adamson, now 87, has been a longtime supporter of the club that he said means much more to the town than just a golf course.
“We’re losing a lot of things,” he said. “I feel like we’ve lost the hospital, we lost all kinds of industry, but this course has been with us through thick and thin.”
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Wallaceburg area farmer Scott Kilbride, who plans to turn it back into farmland, has purchased the 96-acre course. The property must undergo severance and zoning procedures.
Adamson said the course was “kind of adopted” by the town. Although it has been privately owned, it wasn’t unusual to see volunteers helping out in years gone by.
“When they put in the back nine (holes) about 20 years ago, I was one of a group of people who helped plant trees there,” he said. “It was “our” course and there were a lot of good times here.
Founded in 1930 in the depths of the Great Depression, by a group of Wallaceburg professionals, the nine-hole course even featured a small motel and a pool for a number of years.
“It was quite the place in its day,” Adamson said.
He said he’s had offers to move the seniors’ league to another local course, but Baldoon was central to the north Kent and south Lambton members,
“Time will tell,” he said. “At this point I’m not sure what will happen.”
The Hawryluk family has owned the course for 13 years. It was owned and managed by current owner Jim’s son Mike, who died unexpectedly at age 39 in 2009.
“Mike ‘s death was tragic in so many ways,” he said. “There’s no way to tell what might have happened if he hadn’t left us.”
Jim said the financial crunch for golf courses began in 2007.
“We’ve never really recovered from that. Our membership was 300 and now it’s half of that.”
He said he feels badly that the course will become farmland, but noted that he’s tried to sell it for several years without success.
“Everyone’s sad that it’s being closed, but we couldn’t sell it even though we came close a number of times. The golf business is a tough one right now.”
The course was listed at $3.5 million in 2011 and 18 months later the asking price was $1.75 million. Neither Hawryluk nor Kilbride would disclose the purchase price.
Kilbride, who currently farms 700 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans, said he isn’t certain exactly what crop he will plant.
“I expect this will be some of the best land I own, but I haven’t finalized a plan for it yet.”
He said he wants to be environmentally conscious in developing the property.
“I’d like to save as many trees as I can, possibly have some of them re-located elsewhere if it’s feasible, but I know I won’t be able to save most of them.”
He also plans to use a water control system developed by a Blenheim firm to help control drainage by storing and releasing water.
Depending on which path he takes, farming could begin on the site in six to 18 months.
One portion of the property that will remain commercial is the current restaurant and banquet facility that will be owned and operated by Melissa Gaylard.
“We plan to remain true to the Baldoon heritage and the name of the restaurant will likely have Baldoon in it,” she said. “We’ve developed a strong clientele over the past several years and I’m really glad I have the opportunity to continue.
The restaurant seats 120, the banquet room 150 and the porch-like patio another 70. The facility will continue to have a golf theme.
Gaylard said Jim Hawryluk and his wife Mary “have been like parents to me.”
The restaurant will continue to employ 18 full- and part-time staff while the six golf course employees will be given first opportunity to fit in as soon as an opportunity arises.
“If everything goes as planned, I’d like to be able to add staff so no one loses their job,” she said.
In the story the long-time member Jack Adamson is quoted as saying "there isn't anything that can be done about it." Well there is a lot that can be done. 1) Scott can decide to keep it as a golf course 2) Scott can sell it to someone who wants to keep it as a golf course 3) the residents of Wallaceburg can decide to buy it and run it as a golf course etc etc. Times are tough for most golf courses but for Baldoon G&CC it doesn't have to end here.
I totally agree with You Tim … I also feel that something can be done to keep this beautiful golf course . I certainly hope that something will happen either with the zoning or Mr. Kilbride will reconsider and save the golf course for Us golfers and future golfers .
Very sad