A new direction was approved Monday night for the Northwood Golf Club on Rhinelander's far west side.
The city council voted 7-1 to terminate the contract with golf pro Dan Buckley, end the management agreement with David O'Melia and the bar and restaurant, and seek a manager or management firm to run the course beginning next year.
The Golf Course Advisory Committee had recently approved that recommendation after a consulting firm made several recommendations about the financially troubled course.
City Administrator Keith Kost recommended the changes, hoping to hire new management by February.
Buckley told the council prior to the vote that he wasn't given enough time to explain his side to the consultant and the city had shortchanged him with a marketing budget..
"....I feel like this decision was made back in September, prior to the consultants showing up. Again, I met with that person less than one hour...."
There was some contentious give-and-take among the council, but Alex Young felt there had been enough delay and the city had to act to get the fiscal house in order...
"..right now almost $1.4 million dollars in debt that the course owes the city.There's another half-million in bonds. $1.8 million in total. That number increases every year and will increase every year. You want to talk about the negative press the course has gotten. That is never going to go away unless there's a change..."
The municipally-owned course opened in 1989.
