Carmel golf course construction project nears completion

About $10 million of construction at the Carmel-owned Brookshire Golf Club should be finished this winter, with upgrades ready for spring.

In April, the city broke ground on an addition to the now-municipal course it purchased in 2007. The city plans to spend about $10 million building a 20,437-square-foot clubhouse with a pro shop, a 605-square-foot pool house and a new pool.

The new clubhouse will include meeting rooms that can be rented for private events such as weddings, parties and corporate events. The largest of the rooms, the Cool Creek Room, will be able to accommodate up to 200 people.

Mayor James Brainard told IBJ this week that construction on the clubhouse’s exterior should be complete in the next few weeks, allowing contractors to spend the winter completing interior work.

By spring, everything but the landscaping should be completed.

The work is being funded by a $96 million bond the Carmel City Council approved last fall to pay for a variety of projects, including a city-owned hotel near City Center, the Monon trail expansion and road work.

Brainard said when complete, the club house will be a great addition to the east side of Carmel, while helping to improving the course’s finances.

In 2016, the course had about $824,000 in sales, but its expenses totaled $1.08 million, a financial report provided by the city shows.

Carmel purchased the 18-hole course along Cool Creek between 116^th and 126^th streets more than a decade ago to save it for redevelopment.

The course was built in 1970 and designed by Carmel’s William Diddel, the architect of more than 300 courses.

The course provides inexperienced golfers the opportunity to learn the game at an affordable cost, Brainard said. Rates for 18 holes range from $27 to $35 depending on the day and time.