RACINE — The city of Racine is set to consider potential redevelopment plans for Shoop Park Golf Course following Tuesday's Common Council meeting, but golfers who use the course are split on what they'd like to see happen.
"I'm sure it has its pros and cons, but in this specific area, for this spot, I more lean toward having it the way it is," Tony Rodriguez, an Oak Creek resident, said.
Watch: Golfers split on hopes for the future of Racine's Shoop Park Golf Course
Rodriguez said he golfs the course about once a month.
"I like Shoop, because it's a bit quirky. It's right on the lake. It's very scenic, and it's got a smaller feel and atmosphere to it," he said. "And I think that's what I like about it."
Not everyone agrees.
"I come out here a lot, and for it to be a nicer course, yeah, I'm here for it," Marc Edmunds, another Oak Creek resident, said.
Edmunds believes southeastern Wisconsin could benefit from a destination golf course in the area.
"It sounds like the plans that they're trying to make out of this course, sounds like a really could addition to the golf scene in Southeast Wisconsin," he said.
Initial plans presented to the city by the Leipold Johnson Golf Group in March included a links-style course with "sandy dunescape, forest, and native grass prairie" along Lake Michigan. Another pitch from the developer could be submitted to the city any day now.
But for some golfers, the course already provides what they need.
George Albert, a Racine County resident, said the course currently offers a low-stakes, relaxing place to play.
"This is a course we can come to, and it's casual, and we can take our time and golf without feeling pressured or pushed. And we can enjoy the day," Albert said.
Rodriguez echoed that sentiment.
"There's no carts flying around. You pull your own manual cart. The scenery is beautiful. It's a bit quieter," Rodriguez said.
Albert also said the course's trees provide shade along the way.
"For older folks, we need to get in the shade once in a while to get out of the sun," he said. "A day like today, it was hot."
But for Edmunds, an investment like the one being planned by the Leipold Johnson Golf Group is an opportunity.
"I'm a golfer, through and through. If you're going to improve a course that's so close to my house, I'm all for it," Edmunds said.
The city intends to hold an Executive Committee meeting Monday, July 13, to consider plans from the developer. Depending on the outcome, the item could return to the full Common Council for consideration as soon as July 21, according to Racine Mayor Cory Mason.
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