ABBEVILLE – The Abbeville City Council will consider the future of the Vermilion Oaks Country Club at their next council meeting.
The country club closed last fall with its owners citing a down economy. The course was put on the market for $1.8 million, but so far, it has not been sold. Now, the city of Abbeville is considering leasing the property.
Debate is par for the course when it comes to city finances. Some fear finances at the Vermilion Oaks Country Club could be a long shot. According to the golf course committee, Vermilion Oaks has been operating at a loss since 2012. In those nearly six years, the club lost nearly $500,000. Now the city is considering reopening it and making it a golf-only club.
“I feel very uneasy about the city taking that step because we are going to make sure that we have funds to operate this club and that we can operate this club, and if we don’t have the funds, where is the money going to come from if we start operating in a deficit?” Councilman Francis Plaisance said.
The golf committee presented a projected monthly expense report showing costs for operating the club for the first three months and the remainder of the year. Others, like Councilman Francis Touchet, see the potential.
“If it is something we can commit to, I think it would be great for our citizens in Abbeville, be great for Vermilion Parish as a whole, and it would be great for the youth at the schools we have different kids going to,” Touchet said.
The country club will be discussed among the entire council next week.
