LOUISVILLE – While the Louisville Town Board continues to endure significant turmoil in recent months, it’s a different story at the Golf Course at Louisville Landing.
Course General Manager Perry French says the operation is improving its financial position every year and is nearly at the break-even point after roughly five years of operation under the town.
French spoke with North Country This Week about the future of the course, saying it looks very bright.
“Everything is trending in the right direction and we have righted the ship financially,” he said.
The course was at the center of controversy in recent months after it was revealed the town issued a $25,000 loan to float expenses for roughly one month in the off-season.
French said that practice has been commonplace “for years now,” but hopes the course will not need to do so for much longer.
“That loan was paid back in about a month and was used to cover expenses related to closing the course, winterization, and that kind of thing. We’ve had to do that because it’s just the nature of cash flow at the course, it ebbs and flows,” he said.
Once early membership signups begin, cash flows back to the course and operating costs can be covered from the fund balance, French said.
He also elaborated on debt that was incurred with the course when it was transferred to town control in 2021.
French said had the debt not been cleared, the course might not be around today.
“There were fees and interest being applied, back taxes owed, and other related expenses that could have compounded. It wasn’t a small sum and likely would have led to the course closing had we not cleared the debt on day one,” he told North Country This Week.
Stable finances
Financial records obtained by North Country This Week show the course had unpaid property taxes totaling $96,286, along with a $33,000 loan that was inherited from the Massena Country Club.
While expenses have remained relatively consistent throughout the town’s ownership, with 2022 coming in at $466,530, 2023 seeing an increase to $566,156.00 due to a major equipment purchase, 2024 landing at $501,153, and 2025 ending at $518,329, French said income levels have continued to increase steadily.
Documents show an income of $566,156.00 in 2022, followed by $562,190.00 in 2023, $474,767.00 in 2024, and $536,355.00 in 2025.
French said weather conditions clearly play a major role in the success of a course, and with near-perfect weather last year, the course was able to capitalize.
“We have two or three rainout days where we lost time, but overall we were able to maximize the number of rounds played at more than 18,000 total,” he said.
French said the number of golfers coming through the pro shop has also led to increased revenue, with more organizations also planning to host tournaments this year.
“It’s going to be a very busy year between our members, visitors, tournaments, as well as our leagues. We’re very excited to see our numbers continuing to grow,” French said.
Membership numbers have steadily increased, allowing the course to stabilize financially.
“We’ve seen those numbers steadily increase each year. Memberships are what sustain the course in the slow months and off-season. With that revenue, we will eventually be in a position to be completely financially independent and won’t need a short-term loan from the town,” French said.
Break-even model
While other courses in the area are run as for-profit businesses, French reiterated the point that the Course at Louisville Landing is a municipal course.
“We’re here to provide a service to the community at a fair price. We have been able to maintain our pricing fairly well since taking over to ensure the community has affordable access to a quality course,” French said.
The goal is not to get rich, but rather to function as a “break-even entity” that can stand on its own, French said.
“I’m quite confident that we can do that with the direction we are heading,” he said.
While improvements are also planned to better golfers’ experiences at the course, it was also announced during a recent town board meeting the New York Power Authority would be covering repaving costs at the course.
NYPA support
Officials said that cost was estimated at more than $800,000, an expense that won’t fall to taxpayers or club members.
“It’s another improvement that we’re very excited about and very thankful to the Power Authority for helping us with,” French said.
Diners will also be able to enjoy a meal at the course this year after town officials approved a new contract with Chase’s Riverside Dining, which French said has proven to be a huge hit.
“We don’t have any say in determining who operates the restaurant, nor do we oversee its operation, but we have heard significant positive feedback about the dining experience. Folks will be happy to know Chase’s will return this year after the town board signed off on them recently,” French said.
He continued, saying he hoped the Power Authority and community would continue to support the course and work collaboratively to support the ongoing efforts.
“It has been a big project with some ups and downs, but we’ve made great progress in just a few years. We have great community support and the Power Authority has been a strong partner throughout the process.”
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