Applewood Golf Course will likely be saved by a local park district, thanks in part to a $3 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.
The grant, announced on GOCO’s Twitter account, is a key piece of funding Prospect Recreation and Park District needs to purchase the Jefferson County golf course and surrounding property from owner Molson Coors for $13.5 million.
Jefferson County Open Space approved a $1.1 million grant in May that was contingent on the GOCO grant. The funds will be combined with $8.5 million from a bond issue approved by Prospect’s voters in November.
The 146-acre property first drew attention in 2014 when a developer announced intentions to purchase it for residential development. Amid opposition from area residents, the developer backed out and Molson Coors began negotiations with the local park district.
The Trust for Public Land will facilitate the sale. According to a letter from the trust included in the Jeffco Open Space grant request, the $13.5 million price tag is below the $15 million fair market value for the land. Molson Coors will claim the difference as a charitable donation.
Jim Zimmerman, Prospect’s board chairman, said the district has funds to cover the remaining $900,000 of the cost.
While getting the grants and voters’ approval to get the course were huge accomplishments, Zimmerman is not quite calling it a victory until there is a purchase agreement in hand. The sale will not be finalized until October, he said.
“We’re thrilled we’re gotten this far too, but we still have a ways to go,” he said.
Prospect Recreation and Park District plans to maintain the public golf course and use the rest of the property for trails and open space. Zimmerman said there are no specific plans for the property outside the golf course, but there are a lot of ideas floating around, including connections to the Peaks to Plains trail.
