Washtenaw Country Club aims for April opening as sale to Polo Fields nearly finalized

Now the new owners - the Berger family, which developed the Polo Fields Golf and Country Club and subdivision in Scio Township - just await a new class C liquor license before the deal becomes finalized.

That should happen by the end of February, Kuenzli said, “and we’re looking at a possible April 1 opening.”

That opening date will conclude a years-long real estate journey for the member-owned country club, which - facing $1.9 million in debt and concerns about covering operating expenses - voted to be sold to Washtenaw Community College in exchange for the college taking over the debt.

But college officials stepped away from the deal, leaving the future of the club (located here) uncertain.

It’s a situation similar to what’s now happening at Ann Arbor Country Club, where covering both the outstanding debt and operating expenses amid a shrinking membership base threatens its sustainability.

In Ypsilanti Township, the answer is moving the club from member-owned into private hands. The transaction is aided by the lender writing off about half of the debt.

Polo Fields will operate its new facility much like the one in Scio Township, Kuenzli said, with a focus on member-driven revenue.

But it also is seeking to upgrade the liquor license so that it can offer banquet services to non-members, such as hosting weddings.

The Ypsilanti Township facility also will serve as a second “campus” of sorts for members, with visits to both facilities included in membership fees, which - based on introductory specials - hover around $5,000 per year.

As a result, Kuenzli said, “both memberships will be blended into one.”

Advantages to the combined Polo Fields clubs are giving members the choice between two golf course and two clubhouse options. The Ypsilanti Township’s facilities pool also is likely to be reopened, giving members a choice between its regulation-style lanes and the Scio Township resort-style pool.

And with more banquet space, there’s the potential for more rentals.

On the other end, Kuenzli said, Polo Fields will be identifying multiple operating efficiencies. The kitchens, for example, will be under the direction of a single chef who will tailor different menus for each.

“A lot of the management staff will be doing dual duties,” Kuenzli said.

Expanding Polo Fields appears counterintuitive as golf course revenue drops across the state and private clubs that used leverage in good times suffer under those burdens today.

But the shift, Kuenzli said, makes sense in this instance.

“This is where we think the changing face of country club ownership … is going,” she said. “We’re very excited about it.”

Paula Gardner is Business Director of AnnArbor.com. She writes this column weekly for the Business Review email newsletter. Sign up here to receive it every Thursday.