Endicott’s En-Joie Golf Course has for years been the site of Broome County’s largest golf event, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and its predecessor, the B.C. Open, but the tournament’s organizers say that position may be at risk if severe irrigation problems are left unaddressed.
According to a Broome County study, the course’s irrigation system currently uses less than half the required amount of water to maintain its condition, necessitating a replacement that will cost at least $8 million. The course is owned by the Village of Endicott but managed by Broome County, meaning any large-scale repairs must be funded by the village.
The issue has caused friction between the two municipalities. Broome County Executive Jason Garnar has claimed the only way to assist with the 70-year-old system’s replacement is for it to assume ownership of the course in order to bond for the required $8 million, which Endicott Mayor Nick Burlingame has pushed for exploring other options.
En-Joie irrigation woes put Dick’s Open future at risk
The county and village separately announced they would be hiring firms to conduct a study to determine whether the system truly needed to be replaced — both studies concluded it does.
According to Dick’s Open Tournament Director John Karedes, failure to replace the course’s irrigation system could spell the end of the tournament’s lifespan at En-Joie. Karedes, who said he first began hearing of issues with the system shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, said it is a natural result of the irrigation system’s age.
Karedes said that within the last couple years, the PGA Tour’s agronomist, who visits the course yearly, began to suggest a complete overhaul of the course’s irrigation.
“We become a focal point because we have 78 of the world’s greatest players that are going to be here next week,” said Karedes. “But the person who comes from Canada, Pennsylvania or New Jersey to En-Joie in May, July or August should also be afforded the opportunity to play a quality golf course. It’s more than just the tournament; it’s the golf course as a whole that is lacking a functional irrigation system.”
For now, the course has an agreement with the PGA Tour to host the Dick’s Open at least through the 2029 season. Due to the project’s scale and the time required — it could take a year or longer — Karedes said the situation is urgent.
“We need to see this moving forward so we know whether to begin renewal discussions with Dick’s and the PGA Tour about our future,” said Karedes. “If the tour doesn’t see conditions that are meeting their standards, then we certainly do run the risk of the tournament not being here.”
How the village, county plan to move forward
The results of the county’s study identified the use of the Endicott Waste Water Treatment plant as a water source for the new system, which Garnar said would benefit Endicott both by providing revenue and not straining existing village water sources.
“Where we are right now is we have offered a solution: transfer the course over to the county, and the county will bond for the millions we need,” said Garnar. “We will be able to keep the tournament here. We will be able to keep this course in tip-top shape, and as a good community asset.”
Garnar said another downside of continuing to postpone the project is increased costs. According to Garnar, what started as an $8 million quote for the project may have already increased to around $10 million due to compounding damage from the course’s irrigation system.
In addition, Garnar said that the county’s management contract with the village has not been renewed, and it expires at the end of 2026. In order to renew the contract, Garnar said the county will want a plan developed to replace the course’s irrigation.
“If nothing happens, then the village has a budget in place for 2027, and they do not have anything budgeted to run this golf course,” said Garnar. “Our expectation was, 24 months ago, that this should have been decided. It’s been over 30 months that we have presented this issue and solution to them, and they have not come back to us and said yes, no or here’s another way we’d like to go. My hope is that over the next month or two, we can come to an agreement and get this nailed down.”
According to Burlingame, the village’s next steps are to host public information sessions to gauge community interest and determine which solution is best for Endicott residents, which may include the county’s suggestion. The meeting will likely take place in the months following the Dick’s Open, which ends on June 28.
“The county has provided their numbers for if they financed the irrigation system, and I know the village manager is working from the village side,” said Burlingame. “As soon as I get confirmation that we have the numbers, we’ll go ahead and schedule that meeting. We would love the county to be there, because this should have community input. We want community members to have the facts so we can identify some feedback.”
Burlingame said while the use of the Waste Water Treatment plan is an option, other possibilities could include the drilling of a new well, tapping into an existing well not fit for human consumption or using water from the Susquehanna River. In fact, Burlingame said the use of the plant was one of the least appealing options identified by the village’s study.
Overall, Burlingame says the controversy created by the topic stems from how large of a decision it is, and the county’s initial choice on how to handle media surrounding the system’s replacement.
“I think it was handled really poorly,” said Burlingame. “We didn’t respond quickly because it’s a huge decision, and they provided no proof that the irrigation system actually needed to be fixed. That automatically put us on the defensive. It’s not that we are against doing this, we will do whatever is best for the community — but we have to do our due diligence.”
Over the past months, however, Burlingame said communication between the village and county has improved.
“They have since respected the village board’s boundaries, and we certainly appreciate that,” said Burlingame. “I’m really looking forward to the village board coming to a resolution in the near future, one way or another.”
Ultimately, Burlingame said that the decision to transfer ownership to the county rests on the shoulders of the village board, which will base its decision on community feedback.
“If there is a clear way for the village to retain ownership without burdening the taxpayers, we would love to keep the course,” said Burlingame. “With that said, if it is cost-prohibitive for the village to retain ownership, and the county has the ability to make the course more than what it is now by drawing tourism to Broome County and Endicott, I can’t speak for the board, but I certainly think they would entertain an arrangement with the county.”
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: En-Joie golf course troubles raise questions about PGA tournament future
Reporting by Riccardo Monico, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Riccardo Monico, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin | USA TODAY Network
