Fox Ridge Golf Course owner Scott Covalt held a community meeting at the clubhouse Tuesday evening to discuss the future of the course and his intent to sell.
A native of Colorado, he expressed his desire to move back home to be closer to family after owning the course for seven years.
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I’m selling the golf course,” Covalt said. “And I am not opening this golf course this year. If somebody else wants to open the golf course, if we can find a group of people who actually care about this place enough to keep it open, then you have 100% of my support to do that. But it’s not going to be me.”
Covalt told those in attendance that without a serious offer, it was up to the community to rally together to achieve the asking price of $3.4 million.
“I made a huge bunch of mistakes and all of you know that. I’m not the nicest guy on the planet. Some people don’t like me because of how I talk, whatever. That’s beyond, behind us. You folks, if you want a golf course in Dike, Iowa, this is the opportunity for you to all get together and figure out what you want to do. What you folks want is 100 % within your power to make happen.”
Covalt shared that he entertained an offer of $2.7 million in November, but it was rescinded by the buyer. In one of numerous dramatic and heated exchanges with attendees, Covalt said he won’t budge on the asking price.
“I’ll wait for the next 10 years. I’ll wait you out and get my money back. I am not going to get beat up, lied to, manipulated, stolen from for the next ever. You guys can pay what it’s worth, or we have nothing to talk about.”
Covalt said there’s a possibility that he could sell the property to a buyer interested in converting the land to other uses, but expressed that he’d prefer to sell to a buyer who wants to keep the course as is.
Near the end of the meeting, Covalt shared that all membership fees paid for the upcoming season will be refunded, with checks being sent out beginning April 1.
Full meeting recording:
