SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 to contribute $100,000 to Prairie Dunes Country Club for the United States Golf Association’s 2029 U.S. Senior Open, which will take place in July 2029.
Commissioners Don Bogner, Ron Hirst, Randy Parks and Richard Winger voted in favor of the funding, while Commissioner Ron Vincent voted against it. The decision came during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday morning in the Veterans Room at the Reno County Courthouse. Prairie Dunes requested the same amount it received when it hosted the 2006 U.S. Senior Open.
“The month of the actual tournament (in 2006), our sales tax receipts went up a little over $50,000 for that one month,” Reno County Administrator Randy Partington said. “I compared the year before and the year after to get that one month when the USGA was here, so the county return on investment directly got half of it back in 2006. The contribution, as the county has done on other projects with businesses, supports grants to help show local support for events. We would get a portion of this back and hopefully get Reno County’s name out there at Prairie Dunes in front of thousands of people to promote the community.”
The tournament is expected to bring more than 75,000 visitors to Hutchinson. The county’s contribution will be paid over the next four years.
“It will come out of economic development reserve funds, which have more than $1 million,” Partington said. “This would be earmarked and paid out probably between now and mid-2029; it wouldn’t all come at once.”
Commissioner Randy Parks questioned the financial arrangements with the USGA and whether Prairie Dunes would receive any money from the organization at the event’s conclusion.
“We give them money,” said Allen Fee, co-chair of the tournament. “They get a cut of ticket sales and a cut of corporate hospitality. All the TV revenue and everything else goes to the USGA. They hold the championship here. We get nothing from the USGA—none of the events they do involve them paying anything.”
Fee also noted that Prairie Dunes would be shut down for three weeks during the summer to prepare for the championship.
“When kids use the pool, when people play tennis, when I like to play golf, and when many of our national members like to come in and use the club, it’s closed,” Fee said. “We have to continue paying our staff because they’ll all be working at the event. Most of our members will be affected by not being able to use their club, and many will volunteer hundreds of hours and contribute financially through hospitality events.”
Commissioner Ron Vincent, who had previously requested the decision be tabled, said many of his constituents in District Three were unaware the county contributed to Prairie Dunes in 2006.
“I’ve talked to several people, and hardly any of them knew we did this in 2006,” Vincent said. “I’m not getting a positive response about giving $100,000 because people don’t see it as a community deal; they see it as a Prairie Dunes project. Giving money to a private entity to better itself is why I asked for more time to talk to more people, and I’m just not getting a positive response.”
Commissioner Richard Winger highlighted the tournament’s broader impact on the community.
“I work at the college now after retiring from Pools Plus, and we have a golf team with four international students who came here because of Prairie Dunes,” Winger said. “The fact that we have such great golf facilities in the area has led to family and friends traveling from Ireland to play here. This tournament will be broadcast worldwide, giving us valuable exposure. Even if we don’t break even, we’re still getting that publicity.”
Tournament co-chair Brad Pryor emphasized Prairie Dunes’ evolution from a local country club to a nationally recognized golf destination.
“In 2006, Prairie Dunes was a country club. Now it’s a destination golf course known nationally,” Pryor said. “We’re on bucket lists all over the world. People fly private jets here, take commercial flights to get here and play our course. Back in 2006, we had 500 regular members, and that’s down 40%. But we’ve backfilled that with national members, and we have a long waiting list of people wanting to come and spend money in Hutchinson. Some even want to retire here because of Prairie Dunes. It’s a $22 million direct impact to our community, and the sales tax revenue nearly offsets the investment. The national exposure is invaluable.”
Commissioner Ron Hirst reflected on the economic impact of past tournaments.
“I attended in 2006, and I’m not a golfer, but I wanted to see what was happening,” Hirst said. “I was really impressed with the number of people there from all over—not just internationally but from across Kansas. Even if I cut your economic impact estimate in half, it’s a great return. In my conversations with the chamber, they’re making a concerted effort to fill Airbnbs and lodges. We can enhance our ability to promote Hutchinson and Reno County through that kind of effort. Even if the return isn’t immediate in 2029, maybe it takes two years—but that’s how economic development works. Based on what I saw in 2006, I think it’s worth the effort.”
Chairman Don Bogner stressed the importance of keeping visitors’ spending within the county.
“Every one of those people we keep from going to another county is going to spend money here—they’ll eat, they’ll fill their car up. I’d rather have them do that in Reno County than somewhere else,” Bogner said. “We can help with this by advertising our businesses. We have world-class museums and things happening in Hutchinson beyond the golf tournament. If visitors bring their families back, they’re more likely to return to play—and that benefits everyone.”
Before the vote, Bogner shared one final thought.
“This is the second time in my lifetime we can get this kind of exposure,” he said. “If we can get the advertising right and work with community partners to promote Reno County, it will make a difference. These are people who have done business in this community for years, and if they say they’ll do their best to promote our local businesses, that means a lot in how I vote.”