Infrastructure improvements proposed for Chicopee Country Club

Date: 10/7/2021

CHICOPEE – The addition of a new fleet of golf carts for the Chicopee Country Club was a central point of discussion during the City Council meeting on Sept 23.

The topic was originally introduced during Mayor John Vieau’s orders, with the mayor sharing that the country club was seeking $75,434 to add 72 new golf carts to the course. He explained that the battery-operated carts are six years old and in need of repairs. Vieau’s proposed order was unanimously agreed upon by the Chicopee Country Club Golf Commission before being presented to the council.

Director of Golf at the Chicopee Country Club Mike O’Neill joined the meeting to discuss the need for renovations. He explained how the pandemic played a vital role in aging the equipment, with the increase in golf activity doubling the use of carts by clientele. “With the pandemic last year, golf [business] became booming,” said O’Neill. The golf director shared that social-distancing policies meant only one person could ride in a cart while renting.

The carts play a crucial role in Chicopee Country Club’s success, with O’Neill revealing that they generate the most revenue for the club at approximately $300,000 annually. He shared that the country club wants to be proactive in providing the best service as the carts near their expiration date, stating that the new carts would be integrated by June 2022 if the order was approved at the time of the meeting.

O’Neill shared that business during the pandemic has been “extraordinary,” with the outdoor activity drawing consistent customers aside from the occasionally stormy weather. Ward 9 Council member Stan Walczack discussed the reputation that the country club has built over the years. He revealed the organization was named by Golf Digest as one of the top ten public courses in Massachusetts. “Bringing in the current contractor we have, they really turned the condition of the golf course around,” said O’Neill.

The club’s improved course has imbued newfound vitality in the operation. O’Neill explained that the course is now a draw for patrons from eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as bringing in the American Junior Golf Association to host their annual Junior Golf Hub Championship over the last three years.

He estimated the four-day tournament generates roughly $250,000 to $300,000 toward Chicopee’s restaurants, hotels and other businesses. “It’s something that has put Chicopee on the map,” said O’Neill. Walczack also shared that a variety of local organizations utilize the course for fundraiser tournaments, including Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen, the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts State Police.

Once the council began to discuss, the issue of how the carts would be paid for became a point of conversation. Ward 6 Council member Derek Dobosz praised the course for their improvements and closing the gap to profitability, but disagreed with the mayor’s order to pay for the new carts by putting it on the 2022 Fiscal Year Tax Levy. “I don’t agree with raising the tax levy to pay for this…everyone’s property value went up by 10 to 15 percent, I don’t think it’s responsible to keep paying for things with the tax levy,” said Dobosz.

The order was approved to be sent to the Finance Committee for further discussion in a 10 to 2 vote.