The Wells College Golf Course would've closed if Kevin Fitzgerald and his business partner, Brian Dugan, did not intervene three years ago.
Now, with the college closing, Dugan and Fitzgerald are in the process of buying the nine-hole golf course聽in Aurora.听
Fitzgerald told 水果派AV they have operated the golf club, which is on Wells College's campus, under a lease agreement that includes an option to buy the course. They exercised that option before the college announced it will close at the end of the academic year.听
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"It's gotten a bit more complex with the closure of Wells," Fitzgerald said. "But we remain hopeful that everything will fall in line and we'll be able to purchase (the club)."聽
The golf course was part of the Aurora Country Club until it was bought by former Wells College President Kerr Duncan Macmillan in 1923. At the time, it was a six-hole golf course. It expanded to nine holes later in the 1920s, according to the .听
Robert Trent Jones, a famed golf course architect, redesigned the course in the 1960s. Jones' wife, Ione Davis Jones, was a Wells College alumna and served on the college's board of trustees.听
After Dugan and Fitzgerald became co-managers of the course in 2021, they renovated the clubhouse and deck. On the course, they improved the sand traps and turf maintenance.
"Wells really never had the appropriate budget to manage a golf course," Fitzgerald said. "I think our success out here is directly attributable to the condition and the value. We are very reasonably priced. The course is in extraordinary condition for a small nine-hole course with limited irrigation."聽
The Wells College Golf Course in Aurora.
Their work has been supported by the community, Fitzgerald continued. The club's membership is growing and non-member play is on the rise.听
"The renovation and the investment here has turned, really, the state of the golf course here around," he said. "It would've been closed had we not stepped in at the time we did."聽
Fitzgerald noted that the future is bright for the club's ancillary businesses, including its bar and restaurant. The course is also engaged in philanthropic efforts. Two weeks ago, a fundraiser was held for the Cayuga County Veteran Support Fund. Forty golfers participated in the event.听
Once the sale is finalized, there might be one more change coming to the course. The golf club includes the school's name, even though outside entities have managed the course.听
Fitzgerald, who said it's "unfortunate" that Wells College is closing, lauded the insitution for being a great partner. But he hinted there will be new branding after they acquire the club.听
"We will pivot there," he said.听
The Wells College Golf Course in Aurora.
What won't change, Fitzgerald hopes, is the club's presence in Aurora. With Dugan, he wants to build on the success they've had since taking over the course's operations in 2021.听
That success is why they exercised the option to purchase the golf club, which celebrated its centennial in 2023.听
It was "a roll of the dice," Fitzgerald said, but their plan has delivered results.听
"It's a community treasure," he added. "It's been here for 100 years. It's incredibly important to the golfing community in southern Cayuga County."聽
A flyover of the first hole at Wells College Golf Course.
Series: Complete coverage of Wells College closing
水果派AV's complete coverage of Wells College's closure and new developments as the institution winds down operations in Aurora.听
A purchase offer has been approved, moving the village closer to acquiring the water plant.
A group behind a $10.7 million offer to buy the Wells College campus will present its plan for the property at a meeting next week.
An interview with the developer behind a $10.7 million offer to buy the Wells College campus in Aurora.
A partnership is proposing the creation of an Indigenous college and senior housing on the former Wells College campus.
Wells College has received "multiple offers" to buy its 127-acre campus, the board of trustees announced Friday.
The entities behind two offers to buy the Wells College campus detail their plans.听
A call for offers has been issued to parties interested in buying the Wells College campus.听
Pleasant Rowland holds a right of first refusal on several Wells College-owned properties, including the campus.听
A public meeting was held on the sale of the Wells College campus in Aurora.听
Wells College has scheduled a presentation on the sale of the Aurora campus.听
The village of Aurora and Wells College are engaging in conversations about issues of mutual interest.听
A group of Wells College alumni says the Aurora campus is "at risk of irreparable harm" due to actions by the college's leadership.听
Wells College is moving forward with plans to sell its 300-acre campus and most of its non-real estate assets.听
A nonprofit is proposing the creation of an Indigenous college on the former Wells College campus in Aurora.听
The village of Aurora is preparing to take over the water plant, but Wells College has not signed an agreement to transfer ownership of the facility.听
An Ithaca investment banker has pitched his idea to transform Wells College into a boarding school.听
The village of Aurora altered one of its proposed Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects after Wells College decided to sell the property at 165 Main St.听
An audit found Wells College lost more than $6 million over two years before it closed in June.听
Four months since its closure announcement, here is where Wells College stands in its wind-down process.听
AURORA聽鈥 The theme of this year's AuroraFest was an obvious choice.
A union representing former faculty members at Wells College is accusing the Aurora institution of unfair labor practices.听
Peachtown Elementary School is taking the next steps to ensure it stays on the former Wells College campus in Aurora.听
For more than 60 former Wells College students, they did not have to look far for a new school.听
A former Wells College professor has stepped down from her seat on the Moravia Central School District Board of Education in order to take a t…
A Wells College alumni group is hoping to get answers to questions about the school's closure in a meeting with the institution's leadership this week.听
Wells College is selling a house that's part of the village of Aurora's Downtown Revitalization Initiative plan.听
Wells College failed to provide information about the closure after repeated requests, the institution's former accreditor says.听
As you can imagine, in a small community, the closing of Wells College has been very painful.
Aurora Mayor Jim Orman and Dr. Heather MacAdam have visions for how to reuse certain Wells College properties.听
A year before Wells College announced it would close, the Aurora institution had a net loss of $3.2 million as declining enrollment continued to take a toll.听
The village of Aurora is urging Cayuga County's federal and state representatives to support a "one-campus" sale or transfer of Wells College.听
Wells College has named a new president who will oversee the process of shuttering the 156-year-old Aurora institution.听
Wells College closed Sunday after 156 years.听
A Wells College alumni group may file a lawsuit if the school does not cooperate with its request for more information about the institution's closure.听
For eight of its nine years, the Aurora Farmers Market has occupied space at the Wells College Boathouse. That won't change, at least for this year.听
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education said Thursday that Wells College has not complied with requests for information about where its institutional and student records will be stored.听
Wells College has "parted ways" with Jonathan Gibralter, who served as the institution's president since 2015.听
Wells College alumnae have formed a group to preserve the institution's legacy in Aurora and the Finger Lakes region.听
As the New York State Attorney General's Office begins to determine what will happen to Wells College's properties, an online petition is sugg…
An accreditor has taken action in response to Wells College's plan to close at the end of the academic year.听
The village of Aurora and Wells College are in the early stages of planning how to keep the on-campus water treatment plant operational after the college closes this year.听
AUBURN 鈥 The Schweinfurth Art Center usually has a friendly relationship with works of fiber art, but last month the rug was pulled out from u…
The story behind the decision to have faculty, not Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter, present degrees to graduates at the school's final commencement.听
At the final commencement in Wells College's 156-year history, the school's president relinquished nearly all of his speaking roles and sat behind faculty and staff.听
Wells College has reached agreements that would allow students to choose from two dozen schools to continue their education.听
Wells College capped off its 156-year history with its final commencement Saturday.
A nonprofit organization has contacted Wells College to gauge the leadership's interest in helping the 156-year-old institution remain open.听
From internship opportunities to a great return on investment, Manhattanville University President Frank Sanchez highlights what his institution offers to Wells College students seeking to continue their education.
水果派AV interviewed or received messages from more than 20 Wells College alumnae who shared memories and their thoughts about the college's sudden closure announcement.听
After Wells College announced that it will close at the end of this semester, Dr. Heather MacAdam's patients at the campus medical center had higher blood pressure than normal.
In January, Wells College told 水果派AV the school had "no plans to close at the end of the semester."聽
Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter was paid more than his counterparts at similarly sized institutions and received over $300,000 in bonuses, tax filings show.听
Wells College has notified the state Department of Labor of the job cuts due to the Aurora institution's closure after the spring semester.听
The Aurora Farmers Market will return for its ninth season beginning Saturday, May 25, on the lawn of the Wells College boathouse on Route 90 …
One question about Wells College's closure is how it will affect Peachtown Elementary School, which has been on the Aurora institution's campus since 1992.听
On its website, Wells College has responded to frequently asked questions about its closure.听
AURORA聽鈥 The Wells College women's lacrosse team won its first championship in its last season.
Wells College is being criticized for not timely notifying its accreditor that it will close and not properly planning for its closure.听
Three organizations are collaborating to inform Wells College students about their legal rights after the school announced it will close at the end of the semester.听
Wells College notified the state Education Department of its plan to close before a public announcement Monday, but the timing highlights how quickly the decision was made.听
"It's just important to show that we can win, and that we will win for the last lacrosse season at Wells.鈥
An Aurora church opened its doors to give Wells College employees and students a forum to express their feelings about the school's closure.听
The United Ministry of Aurora hosted a Wells College Lament on Tuesday.
The village of Aurora and Cayuga County lost one of the area's historic gems this week with the announcement of the closure of Wells College, …
Wells College will close at the end of the spring semester due to declining enrollment and financial struggles.听
Cayuga County leaders react to Wells College's announcement that it will close at the end of the spring semester.听
After 156 years, Wells College in Aurora will close at the end of the spring semester.听
The lakeside campus of Wells College in Aurora was serene as ever Monday afternoon, with birds chirping among the spring blooms.
Tax records show the losses Wells College incurred over the years and how it was boosted, temporarily, by donations and other aid.听
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.
Robert Harding
Online producer/politics reporter
