08/11/2026
Just one perspective on the current state of this little gem located in the heart of the Westwood neighborhood…
This is a tale of a golf course…
The Kalamazoo County Club is currently experiencing a transformation and expansion that will showcase a new 18-hole championship golf course to complement the other amenities no self-respecting country club member can do without—things like a bowling alley, water slides, a movie theatre, and the usual tennis and pickleball courts. Some sources estimate that this project will exceed $100 million. I can only imagine (since I’m not invited) that when finished, it will look spectacular.
But we’re not talking about that golf course…
Over on the north side of town, less than 5 miles away from the Kalamazoo Country Club, lies another golf course that is … a little different. This nine-hole family-friendly golf course is located on Grand Prairie Road, and is nestled between homes, The Kal-Haven Trail State Park and an elementary school. Across the road, families can enjoy pickleball and tennis or take in a little league game with their families.
And this little golf course is also making news today, but for a totally different reason. Here’s the story in a nutshell… Back in the 80’s, the township of Kalamazoo purchased Grand Prairie Golf Course (GPGC) with the help of grants that stipulated that the land remain greenspace. It was the perfect solution in guaranteeing that the Westwood neighborhood would provide residents and anyone living beyond the area with ample parks and recreational opportunities. At that point, they constructed a partnership agreement with an outside source to operate and manage the course. I don’t know the details of who that was in the beginning, but apparently this arrangement worked. In the early 90’s, the township then partnered with the folks who are still running it today. That’s a 35-year relationship.
The importance of this little golf course to the area cannot be overstated. Personally, my husband and I lived walking distance to the course in the early nineties, and it was this golf course that inspired us to move back to the area after our children fled the scene, ready to start their own lives. Soon after, I retired from my “real career” and started working at the course—a job that entails greeting guests, assigning carts and making the occasional Slushee.
But back to our story… GPGC is in the news today because of a lack of communication. That’s it. On the evening of August 10, a gathering of Westwood residents sat in on a Kalamazoo Township board meeting, and one by one, many of the folks stood behind a microphone and told their stories. So many wonderful tales that painted a picture of what GPGC brings to the community.
The question now is, are the board members listening? While I appreciate the reassurance from the current township supervisor that the plan is for GPGC to remain intact, I am less comfortable with a word he and many of the board members used throughout the evening and in the media. Rumors. The Township of Kalamazoo would like us to believe that this current concern for the future of GPGC came about simply because of rumors. This implies untruths, and that is simply not the case. The problem stems from a lack of communication—between the current board members and us. And by us, I mean the current operators and the community.
Trust is earned. During my time working at the course, I can recount the many visits from the previous Township Supervisor—after storms, to access damages at the course, and just visits to see how everything was going. It was a partnership that ran smoothly and flourished. As one person pointed out during the comments portion at last night’s board meeting, we don’t recall the current supervisor or any board member ever stopping by the course to say hello. I take that back. They did show up to take photos for the appraisal.
Communication—it’s the foundation for trust, and trust is earned. I hope the current board is now listening and hears our words. And I invite them to stop by the course. I promise not to judge their swing.
Heidi McCrary / Author and Slushee Maker
(Photo taken last week of two GPGC members enjoying a round with a stowaway)
