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Commission lauds Old Works turnaround and reviews golf-course budgets and winter revenue
Summary
At the county commission meeting, members praised management at Old Works Golf Course for reversing losses and discussed capital amendments and the Elgin West 2025 plan, noting new revenue from simulators and plans to bank ARCA/consent-decree funds for equipment replacement.
Commissioners at the Anaconda Deer Lodge County meeting on the evening’s agenda praised management of Old Works Golf Course and reviewed capital amendments and the Elgin West 2025 annual plan and budget.
A committee member credited course management with a dramatic financial turnaround, saying the facility had been "losing in excess of a half million dollars a year" before the current management team took over and that rounds and community use have since increased. Bill Dodd, president of the Old Works Golf Authority board, told commissioners the board plans to budget for replacing worn equipment and to bank monies from ARCA and a consent decree for future use, and said the operation has been able to issue incentives to staff.
The commission representative to the Golf Course Authority described recent capital purchases and routine replacements at the 25‑year‑old facility as prudent investments that were approved by the Authority and completed at or under expected costs. Commissioners discussed keeping resident fees lower than regional increases to help local users and highlighted two simulator units that have improved winter revenue, which one commissioner estimated at roughly $10,000–$20,000 per month.
Why it matters: The capital amendments and the annual plan affect near-term equipment purchasing and ongoing operations at facilities the county manages or supports. Banked funds from ARCA/consent‑decree money were presented as a reserve to avoid interrupting restoration or capital projects.
Commissioners did not record a formal vote on the budget amendments during the discussion recorded in the transcript; presenters said the items had already been vetted through the Golf Course Authority and related meetings. The commission moved on to other items after the reports.
