JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Residents in rural Johnson County are divided over a proposed golf course that could reshape the area in Johnson County known as Morse.<\/p>\n
Former Iowa Hawkeyes football kicker Nate Kaeding is the project lead for the course. He wants to build an 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse and a driving range on property just outside Solon.<\/p>\n
Sue Gerlits has lived in the rural Johnson County area with her husband for 48 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave us in our small town alone. Don\u2019t ruin us,\u201d Gerlits said.<\/p>\n
She said the proposed course would sit near her backyard, a change she does not support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so quiet and peaceful. Everybody kind of does their own thing. We\u2019re just a small community. And that\u2019s what we\u2019ve always been, what we\u2019re known for,\u201d Gerlits said.<\/p>\n
Gerlits said she has a few concerns. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re taking prime farmland out of production for a private golf course. And we\u2019re worried about the water that they\u2019re going to use,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then we have the wildlife that lives back here,\u201d Gerlits said.<\/p>\n
Not everyone shares Gerlits\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n
Mark Pattison lives in Solon but owns land next to the proposed course.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I appreciate farmers, I come from a farm, I own farms. I consider myself a farm boy. I can appreciate both sides of all arguments. But again, I think this is a win-win situation for everybody in Johnson County,\u201d Pattison said.<\/p>\n
He said a golf course will bring people to the state and boost the local economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s wonderful to promote Iowa to something more than just farming,\u201d Pattison said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime we can have some economic development in Iowa that\u2019s outside of farming, we need to do it, right? We need to diversify, just like everything else. So yeah, I view it as a positive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gerlits said too much farmland has already been taken and redeveloped across Johnson County.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been farm, farm country out here. Always. And I realize that, you know, people say, well, you have to progress, you know, things progress. Not out here, it doesn\u2019t need to. It really doesn\u2019t,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Kaeding wrote, \u201cWe are in the early stages of assessing the site and the project\u2019s feasibility and intend to begin the pre-application process for a Rural Recreation rezoning this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have begun outreach with neighbors and stakeholders in the Morse area and plan to hold a good neighbor meeting before submitting any formal rezoning application,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Read the full statement below:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the early stages of assessing the site and the project\u2019s feasibility and intend to begin the pre-application process for a Rural Recreation rezoning this summer.<\/p>\n
The current plan envisions an 18 hole golf course, a clubhouse, a driving range and practice area, maintenance buildings and on-site cottages for overnight stays. We\u2019ll have a food and beverage program that features partnerships with local farmers, a caddy program, host amateur golf tournaments, and provide club scholarships for Johnson County high school golfers. The course will be spread across privately owned property, currently zoned \u201cAgriculture\u201d, north of the village of Morse. <\/p>\n
The vision is to thoughtfully showcase a remarkable piece of Iowa landscape using best-in-class naturalist golf course design, creating a unique golf experience that celebrates our home state\u2019s natural beauty, hospitality, and character.<\/p>\n
Naturalist and minimalist golf course design is an approach where the architect works with the land to make it feel like it was discovered rather than manufactured \u2014 using existing contours, ridge lines, creeks, native grasses, trees, and natural movement to shape holes with minimal earthmoving. The property\u2019s location, set amongst farmland and pastureland, is precisely the point: we want the golfers to be surrounded by Iowa\u2019s unique natural beauty.<\/p>\n
We are envisioning a \u201chybrid\u201d club model, that blends member, guest and general public play,an approach that\u2019s common at many great golf clubs in the UK and Europe, and would be the first-of-its-kind to the Iowa City\u2013Cedar Rapids area. The course will have a private membership base made up of both local and out-of-town (\u201cNational\u201d) members, with tee time blocks reserved for members and their guests while still keeping select tee times available for public play. <\/p>\n
A local group of investors and Founding Members will entirely fund the project. I am acting as Project Lead. <\/p>\n
We have begun outreach with neighbors and stakeholders in the Morse area and plan to hold a good neighbor meeting before submitting any formal rezoning application. We want the community to have an opportunity to ask questions, share feedback, and better understand the long-term vision for the project as plans continue to develop. We\u2019ve already had several productive conversations with neighbors.<\/p>\n
We plan to work with independent environmental consultants as the project continues to develop to help evaluate potential impacts and identify responsible long-term stewardship practices for the property. We believe those questions deserve a thoughtful, fact-based approach guided by professional analysis, and the project will comply with all applicable county, state and federal regulations.”<\/p>\n
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