Disc golf, food and booze: Wichita commercializes part of abandoned city golf course
Wichita City Hall took the first step Tuesday toward commercializing the park space formerly known as Clapp Golf Course, leasing the clubhouse for a disc-golf store that will also have city permission to sell food and booze.
The $300-a-month, no-bid contract will allow disc-golf professional Christopher Dendurent, owner of Duck’s Flying Discs, to set up shop in the currently vacant building at the southwest corner of Harry and Oliver. The grounds have primarily been used for disc sports since the city halted golf operations there in August 2019.
Park and Recreation Director Troy Houtman presented the contract to the Wichita City Council as a first step toward a master plan for the 95-acre site that will be a mix of private and public uses.
“We wanted to put this into a pilot situation where we can see what would it look like to have a retail vendor in one of our parks,” Houtman said. “The idea of the master plan, which you guys will see in the near future, kind of incorporates a retail shop in the park, an idea of a place we can serve coffee, have drinks, sell other kinds of items to support the park.”
The deal was originally on the council’s “consent agenda,” a part of the weekly meeting where multiple matters deemed routine and noncontroversial are approved in a single vote.
It was pulled out for discussion by Mayor Brandon Whipple and one council member, Bryan Frye, ended up voting against it.
Houtman explained the no-bid nature of the deal in response to a question from Frye, who asked if anyone else had been invited to make a proposal.
“It’s a very select group of vendors that support disc golf,” Houtman said. “I think he (Dendurent) is the only one that has a disc golf shop here in town. It’s just going to be an extension of his current shop, adding some other items to support our programs as well.”
“I did not get any interest from anybody else, not that I went out and looked for it,” Houtman said.
Frye said he voted no because “I was disappointed that we didn’t go out for an RFP (request for proposals) on something like that.”
“For transparency and fairness we should be doing that, and we didn’t in this case,” he said. “Staff said why. I didn’t agree with it.”
The property is currently exempt from property taxes, but that could change because it will be going into private use.
If that happens, the contract gives Dendurent permission to challenge tax assessments in the city’s name and the city agreed not to oppose him if he tries to keep it off the tax rolls.
The contract also grants explicit permission to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption, provided Dendurent obtains state and local licensing.
“We will actually get them in this summer and start doing a lot of tournaments,” Houtman said. “They can do leagues, and we’ll work with them on special events to bring in some movies. That’s the location we’re looking at for the Margarita Run,” a 5K race with margaritas at the finish line.
In a pitch to the Park Board last month, Dendurent outlined extensive plans for the park, including regional tournaments drawing potentially hundreds of disc golfers and hosting a disc golf summer camp through his tour sponsor Innova Champion Discs.
He also plans to set up a short “tiki” disc golf course for residents of Ascension Via Christi Villages Georgetown, a retirement home and assisted living complex next door to the park.
Dendurent told the board the activities won’t be just disc sports, “but also things like music venues in the evening. It has a fantastic patio out back, you know.”
The initial term of the contract will be one year with options for at least two additional years as the city redevelops the site.
“This is just a great way to make sure we minimize vandalism of the facility . . . and get a small amount of revenue coming in at the same time,” said City Manager Robert Layton.
Dendurent will be responsible for utilities, maintenance and litter control around the building.
“There will be eyes and ears on the park and an opportunity for them to also help clean and make sure the park is operating correctly,” Houtman said.
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 2:45 PM.
