Geauga Park District Buys Wicked Woods Golf Course for $1.5M
Plans to Naturalize Greens, Lease Club House
Geauga County will have one less golf course but one more park come Jan. 1, 2019, when the Geauga Park District takes possession of Wicked Wood Golf Course on Ravenna Road north of Pekin Road in Burton Township.
The GPD commission voted on Nov. 13 to purchase the 180-acre parcel for $1.5 million from Ed and Connie Babcock, who bought it in 2015 for $798,200, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s website.
The course, opened in 1990 as Pleasant Hills Golf Course, was sold in 1995 to Preston Golf Course Ltd. and again to Tirpak Enterprises in 1997 before Babcocks purchased it three years ago, according to the site.
GPD Executive Director John Oros said in Friday’s press release the district has plans for the entire property to be conserved for generations.
“While we will not operate a golf course on the property, we are confident we can create a park setting revolving around our mission to preserve, conserve and protect the natural features of Geauga County,” he said. “At the same time, we will continue to work hard to maintain the momentum gained the past five years in providing more accessibility to park-owned lands.”
Among plans for this new park is the potential to create a new kind of park district offering a farm-to-table restaurant. A request for qualifications/proposals to lease the property’s former club house and banquet facility will be issued in early 2019, Oros said.
“From locally produced maple syrup, to locally grown produce from orchards and farms, to Amish-raised produce and livestock, Geauga County offers our local chefs the opportunity to create truly special cuisine,” he said. “Our hope is to attract a skilled restaurateur and executive chef, one who has a passion for creating a culinary experience presenting food offerings from our local farms and culinary resources.”
Plans for the rest of the acreage include restoring the land to a natural state, similar to the Orchard Hills park in Chester Township.
The rolling hills protect the west branch of the Cuyahoga River, according to park Biologist Paul Pira. Besides the stands of trees that challenged golfers for decades, the acres feature nice natural habitats that are home to amphibians along the river, freshwater mussels in the stream, a diversity of native wildflowers along the shore and a number of streams.
“There’s also something called coldwater habitat on the property, which are streams fed primarily by groundwater,” Pira said. “That’s something that’s pretty uncommon for Ohio, and provides habitat for a number of unique species of fish and insects that rely on that really cold water to live.”
The staff will draw on the experience they gained while restoring Orchard Hills and may take some different approaches, he said.
“We will probably end up trying to maintain some of the mowed areas before we are able to plant trees or reseed with native plants. Doing this will help us avoid undesirable turf grasses and weed species repeatedly going to seed in the meantime.”
Pending a potential lease agreement for the facility onsite, reservations will not be available in 2019. Updates will be posted to www.geaugaparkdistrict.org as soon as they become available.
“The Babcocks have a love of nature, parks and the Geauga County community at large, and we are thankful they chose Geauga Park District for the sale of this beautiful property. Their choice will serve as a lasting legacy, conserving this land for generations to come,” Oros said.
Babcocks Thank GPD, Staff, Golfers
“Four years ago we fell in love with a beautiful piece of property that you all know as Wicked Woods Golf Course.
“Four seasons later we have determined the best way to preserve this little slice of heaven for many years and generations to come is to sell the property to the Geauga Park District.
“Sadly, it will not go forward as a golf course, but the Parks will be strong stewards of the land.
“We sincerely thank all of you who have played and enjoyed Wicked Woods. Our staff enjoyed working with you and we will miss working with them and seeing you in the clubhouse. Thanks you, thank you, thank you.
“We wish you all a joyous holiday season, many pleasurable golf days, years of health and a lot of great shots!”
Connie and Ed Babcock
