Michigan city's last municipal golf course set to celebrate 100 years

LANSING, Michigan – Groesbeck Golf Course is set to kick off its centennial season with a special flag raising and other activities on Tuesday, April 14.

Groesbeck, at 1523 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., is the city’s only surviving municipal golf course, well-known for its 18-hole, Par 71 course, and scenic beauty.

The golf course was named after Michigan Governor Alexander Groesbeck, who hit the very first ball on the course, according to a city statement.

A view of the tenth hole at Groesbeck Golf Course on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Lansing

Archives from the Lansing State Journal state that a ceremony hosted by Groesbeck was to take place on Wednesday, June 16, 1926, with public play beginning three days later.

“The Groesbeck course has been declared by professionals of national fame to possess excellent possibilities,” a June 1926 LSJ story read. “Critics who have looked it over point out that it is one of the best public layouts in the state and should develop into a wonderful course in the time needed to season every golf plant."

It remains the city's premier municipal golf destination.

The free centennial event is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. and include opening remarks at 1 p.m., a flag raising at 1:15 p.m., and a 1:30 p.m. reflection on 100 years of Lansing golf. A procession toward the golf course’s first tee and ceremonial drives is expected at about 1:45 p.m.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, Lynn Janson and Burton Smith are some of the dignitaries and local golf legends planning on taking ceremonial drives for the event.

Lansing, at one time, had four municipal golf courses, but a budget crunch following the Great Recession in 2008 shortened the list. Then-Mayor Virg Bernero said at the time that the sales were necessary to save the city's flagging finances.

The nine-hole Sycamore golf course closed in 2001, and in 2003 it was converted to a driving range, spurred in part by a $3.5 million loss in the previous decade across all four golf courses. A beginner's program, First Tee, was launched at the property and later closed.

The Waverly and Red Cedar golf courses closed in 2007. Voters authorized the sale of the courses in a 2012 vote, although Waverly and Red Cedar weren’t officially sold to developers until 2018.

Groesbeck's subsidy from the city was $207,550 in 2018, when the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority took control. The subsidy had dropped to less than $100,000 in 2024.

The city's subsidy for Groesbeck's operations was $15,000 this budget cycle and could increase to $72,000 for capital expenses in the proposed budget plan that would start July 1, said Brett Kaschinske, the city's parks director.

The number of rounds played increased dramatically from 14,702 rounds in 2017 to 32,791 in 2021. More than 30,000 rounds are now played annually, said Mindy Biladeau, a LEPFA spokesperson.

Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan municipal golf course ready to celebrate 100 years