Dispute ends over clubhouse

• Dispute Over

Recently a dispute developed between the Two Harbors Curling Club and golf course personnel over the use of the clubhouse during winter months. File photo

Talk about it

Lakeview National Golf Course clubhouse will not remain open over the winter, much to the delight of the Two Harbors Curling Club.

Kyle Ness, general manager for the course, brought up the idea of keeping the clubhouse open during the winter, which would include keeping the bar open. Curling club members, who use the clubhouse for events, were concerned that the open bar would take away from its own liquor sales during events.

“The Two Harbors Curling Club was notified by members of the city council in early October that the operators of the golf course were considering extending their restaurant and bar operation into the winter months,” Norma O’Leary wrote in an email. She’s the president of the curling club. “Since 1992, the Two Harbors Curling Club has had access to the entire building from Oct. 15 to April 15, so there were some concerns by the curling club board of directors as to how a shared-use arrangement might work since the upstairs restaurant area is utilized often by the curling club in the winter.”

The two sides met last week and it was decided the clubhouse would not stay open.

“Everybody was understanding,” said Jason Kuettel, city council and golf course advisory committee member. He cautioned that the winter hours idea was just that, an idea.

The city owns the property that the curling club and golf course clubhouse stand on. Golfers and curlers got the building up. Neither side sounded upset with the decision this week.

“It is what it is,” Ness said. “I’m not trying to stir up a hornet’s nest.”

“There are no hard feelings,” said Rick Osbakken, vice president of the curling club. “Everyone was happy.”

Last week, Osbakken expressed an urgency to have the matter settled at a city of Two Harbors finance/personnel committee meeting so flyers could be sent out for upcoming bonspiels. The club needed to know what type of entry fee it should have.

“The curling club appreciates the consideration of the golf course manager to allow the curling club to continue to operate as it has for the past 17 years,” O’Leary said.

Due to some confusion on the original agreement with the city and the club, O’Leary said her board hopes to clarify things with a revised building management contract “very soon.”

The city council will likely discuss the contract at its next meeting, which could identify when the curling club is allowed the clubhouse for use.

If you go

Curling class

- THCC is offering a two-session community education curling class Nov. 17 and 19. Registration can be done at the Community Education office at the Two Harbors High School or by calling 834-8201 Ext. 8230. The cost for the class is $15.

- For questions about the Two Harbors Curling Club, please contact Cathy Erickson at tee2green@frontiernet.net or Norma O’Leary at norma.oleary@msn.com.

Tags: two harbors, news, golf course, curling club, clubhouse