Kreider gives up on its plan to buy Timber Creek Golf Course

DIXON – Kreider Services has stopped fundraising efforts aimed at allowing it to buy and operate Timber Creek Golf Course, Executive Director Jeff Stauter said Friday.

Kreider, which serves more than 600 people with developmental disabilities throughout Lee County and in Whiteside and Jo Daviess counties, had hoped to establish a public-private partnership that would allow it to take over the course.

It planned to use the facility – which not only has the golf course and Bogey’s restaurant but also a clubhouse, banquet hall, pool and tennis courts – as a source of revenue and as a place where it could provide workplace training for 40 to 50 of its clients.

Plans also included setting up an outdoor tent on the tennis courts to host events for up to 500 people.

Owners Ron and Brett Keith agreed to sell Timber Creek to Kreider for $1 as long as they agreed to keep it as a golf course for 20 years. However, repairs that need to be done, including installing a new irrigation system and pump house, will cost about $1.4 million.

Although the Lee County Board turned down Kreider’s request for $250,000 in August, the city pledged in September to provide $400,000.

City Council members said they would annex the course to the city, citing the economic driver an expanded banquet venue was expected to become.

Kreider also obtained a $300,000 state grant and $200,000 in private donations.

Other fundraising efforts, however, fell short, failing to bring in the rest of the $500,000 needed.

“I said from the beginning if we didn’t have enough money to do it all properly, we wouldn’t do it,” Stauter said. “We’re at a full stop right now.”

He’s not ruling out ever taking over Timber Creek, but for now, those plans are off the table.

In the meantime, Stauter said he has nothing but praise for the ongoing efforts of Timber Creek’s new leaseholders, Steve Kitzman, Doug Shuler, Tom Rich, Ryan Harrison and Rich Boysen.

“The guys that are running it right now are doing a yeoman’s job of running it and keeping it open,” Stauter said.