FERRON – On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Ferron residents and local golfers weighed in on the possible sale or lease of Millsite Golf Course during a public hearing at the Ferron City Council meeting.

Before the public hearing began, Councilman Ray Peterson shared some history on the golf course. Ferron City built the course in the 1980s, but it leased a large portion of the property from the Bureau of Land Management. Since the city did not own all of the land, selling the course had not been an option in the past.

After several years of working through the process with the BLM, Ferron City recently purchased about 157 acres for $173,000. With that purchase and the property it already owned, the city now owns about 200 acres that make up the golf course.

Water was another concern discussed during the meeting. The golf course typically uses about 177 acre-feet of water each year, but with water in short supply this year, it used only about 48 acre-feet. If the course is sold, the city would keep its water shares and sell water to the new owner when it is available.

Several golfers spoke in favor of a sale, saying private ownership could bring needed investment to the course. One attendee, Kasey Edgehouse, described Millsite as one of the most unique golf courses in the state and said putting more money into the course could help draw more golfers to the area. Eric Luke, who has been involved with the course since it first opened, agreed, saying the city’s budget has limited what can be done to improve the course.

Kasey Edgehouse

Ryan Winn, who maintained the golf course for 24 years, said he would be interested in purchasing it. He said his goal would be to keep it as a golf course, keep prices affordable and find additional water to improve its condition.

Ryan Winn

GreatLife Utah owner Jeff Harbertson said his company plans to put in an offer for the course. He said GreatLife would continue operating it as a golf course and would put hundreds of thousands of dollars into improvements. He also said the company wants to keep golfing affordable for local residents. Harbertson also shared that GreatLife has secured water shares that could be used to help supply the golf course during years when the city’s water supply is limited.

GreatLife Utah owner Jeff Harbertson

After the public hearing, during the regular city council meeting, the council moved on to the possible sale of the golf course. Councilman Ray Peterson said he had spoken with a number of people about the idea and had not heard anyone say they were against selling it. While Peterson said he would like to see the course stay with Ferron City, he feels the city does not have the resources needed to keep it up and make the improvements it needs.

Peterson then made a motion to pursue the sale of Millsite Golf Course, which was seconded by Councilman Behling. The council voted unanimously to move forward. The vote does not mean the golf course has been sold, but allows the city to advertise it for 45 days and take offers. After the 45 days are up, the council will go over any offers received and decide how to proceed.