FARGO — The Fargo Park District appears to be on the verge of making major changes to the structure of golf course management, which for starters will eliminate the position of the head professional at Edgewood Golf Course.

Longtime pro Greg McCullough retired in December and the Park District will hire a golf manager instead, according to John Nelson, president of the Edgewood Men’s Club. That same model will include the elimination of head professionals at Rose Creek and Osgood public courses in 2026, jobs that are currently held by Matt Cook and Chris Larson, respectively.

Rocky Papachek, the newly-hired director of golf for the Park District, declined a Forum interview request referring questions to the Park District’s marketing and communications specialist. Nelson, however, met with Papachek on Tuesday to discuss the changes.

It appears money is at the head of the line as the reason for the changes.

Nelson said he was told the new golf manager could be a certified professional but that wouldn’t be a requirement. That job description is expected to be posted this week with the hope of hiring somebody by the end of the month. Larson and Cook, who’s been the head pro at Rose Creek since 2005, weren’t immediately available for comment.

The moves come with trepidation from Nelson and the Edgewood Men’s Club Board of Directors, which met last week to plan for the upcoming season. The club had 350 members last year and Nelson said the weekly Tuesday night league “could” remain for this year.

“Personally I feel this plan attempts to gain revenues from the golf shops but fails to value the training, expertise and passion of a PGA professional,” Nelson said. “My fear is this failure will result in a lesser product and level of service for Edgewood in 2025 and for all of Fargo golf in 2026 and beyond.”

The Park District will take over ownership of the pro shops at all five public courses, which include Prairiewood and El Zagal. Previously, the head pro at Edgewood ran that side of the business as do Cook and Larson. At Edgewood, it’s a major change at the front of the room with McCullough and before him, Dave Kingsrud, having been head pros for a combined almost 50 years.

It’s not a new model of business by any means. Moorhead Parks, citing legal concerns, contracted operations of its golf shop at Meadows and Village Green public courses in 2020 to a third party, but retained head professionals Russ Nelson at Village and Jay Haug at Meadows. Moorhead Parks did boost the salaries of Nelson and Haug to make up for the loss of pro shop income.

“I was told this is currently happening in many communities and that Greg’s retirement accelerated their look at this option,” Nelson said.

Financially, golf in general in Fargo teeters on the breaking-even line.

The projected 2025 budget for golf expenses at all public courses is $4.6 million with total revenues for ‘25 budgeted at $4.7 million, a potential gain of $82,696 according to the 2025 Park District budget report.

Going back, golf courses in 2023 brought in $4.1 million in revenue against expenses of $4.5 million, with a net loss of $423,294. The revenue was up from $3.8 million in 2022.

It appears the change in structure blindsided the local pros and Nelson. There was no mention of potential changes in the November and December Fargo Park Board monthly meetings.

The only reference to golf was from executive director Susan Faus, who said in the November meeting, “We had a great overall season with our golf operation.”

The five combined golf courses finished the year with total rounds of 161,788, an increase of over 14,000 from the previous year. Season golf passes were up slightly from 2023.

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he’s covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough” and “Covid Kids.” He is the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” April through August.