Battle Ground Golf Club to be donated to Lafayette Parks Foundation

BATTLE GROUND, Ind. (WLFI) - It's an 18-hole donation for a Tippecanoe County golf course. The Battle Ground Golf Club will soon be owned by the Lafayette Parks Foundation.           

In 2005, developer John Scheumann bought the Battle Ground Golf Club to save it from going under. Fast forward seven years later, he's donating the popular 18-hole golf course for free. General Manager of Battle Ground Golf Club Shane Weist said that's just they type of person Scheumann is.

"He's big on youth golf and this is an opportunity for the youth of Lafayette to have a really nice facility to play at," Weist explained.

Scheumann is donating the course to the non-profit Lafayette Parks Foundation. Parks Superintendent Ted Bumbleburg said he couldn't donate it directly to the city because, by law, the city can't operate a property located more than five miles outside of city limits.

"The reason for the Park Foundation in taking this on, one for the taxable donation, and they'll be able to set up separate corporation to operate and manage the golf course," Bumbleburg said.

Both Bumbleburg and Weist said the tax-deductible donation is a much needed one because of the frequent flooding at the Lafayette Municipal Golf Course. They said its location right on the Wabash can take a toll on the golf business.

"We have to explore our opportunities if we want to continue to be in the golf business and provide a reasonable golf experience for the community," Bumbleburg said.

"I think it's a great move. For a community to get this quality of a golf course. It's so much nicer than your normal municipal golf course," Weist said.

Bumbleburg and Weist said the donation should be finalized by the end of the year, which is as soon as next Monday. Bumbleburg said no decision has been made on whether the city and foundation will continue to operate two golf courses or whether the current municipal course will shut down.

Bumbleburg said the Battle Ground course will remain a golf course. The banquet hall will also be part of the donation.