WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Reno County is hoping to become a premiere destination for golfing.
After taking public comment, the Reno County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to create a special district to help fund the Salt Lick Golf Resort development.
Commissioners approved the boundaries for a Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond Project District. In those districts, bonds taken out for development are repaid with sales taxes generated in the designated area. In this case, the district is limited to land owned by the developer.
Coaches worry Wichita State’s golf cuts signal growing trend
Brent Engelland, owner of Hutchinson-based Engineering Consultants spoke in favor of the project. Although his company has been working with the developers on the project, he said he was there as a Reno County resident and business owner.
He said the real benefit of the resort will be in the visitors it draws to Reno County.
“Destination golf courses like this really do draw in people from all over,” Engelland said. “There are examples of this in much more remote locations than Hutchinson, with much worse access, that are booked all the time.”
Wichita State abruptly ends golf programs due to cost
He said Salt Lick would have very little impact on local infrastructure while bringing in a significant amount of money through tourism.
The county said a feasibility study conducted by the Kansas Department of Commerce showed that Salt Lick would draw more than 50,000 annual visitors, many from out of state, who would spend $25 million to $35 million annually in Reno County.
The development is already under construction at the former Cottonwood Hills Golf Club near Buhler Road and Fourth Avenue east of Hutchinson.
The defunct Cottonwood Hills Golf Club was created and developed by retired English champion golfer Nick Faldo. It was supposed to be a self-contained, master-planned community but never developed beyond the golf course.
Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes Kansas sports tourism bill
The Salt Lick Golf Resort is being constructed in three phases:
Phase 1
Salt Lick Dunes, an 18-hole championship course routed through rolling sand dunes
Clubhouse with event and dining space
Phase 2
Salt Lick Prairie, an 18-hole championship golf course through a more open, prairie-style layout
CC’s Loop, a nine-hole course for accessibility, match play and repeat rounds
Phase 3
What the Museum of World Treasures will do with $14,000 tourism grant
The development group behind Salt Lick has already invested $44.9 million into the nearly $80 million project, according to the county. The STAR Bonds would be repaid by sales tax revenue generated only by the resort, meaning that Reno County would not be responsible for repayment of the bonds and that existing county tax dollars would not be diverted to support Salt Lick.
Reno County is already home to the world-renowned Prairie Dunes Country Club. It will be hosting the 2029 U.S. Senior Open and the 2032 U.S. Women’s Senior Open.
Wednesday’s vote only established the district; the commissioners still need to approve the specifics of the financing plan.
Kansas tourism grants awarded to world’s largest Toto, dog diving building
In addition to approving the STAR Bond district, the commission also voted unanimously to approve a transient guest tax. The tax would fund tourism promotion, support countywide attractions and events, and potentially support financing for Salt Lick.
Hutchinson and South Hutchinson would be exempt from the transient tax.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.