He Turns Farms Into Golf Courses

He turns farms into golf courses AG WORLD Ag World 17-3-21 A FARM SHOW editor recently spotted this small ad in the back of a Midwestern farm magazine: "Golf-Farming - Your sandy farm might be greener than you think. Imagine creating your own profitable golf course just like a professional. Call 517 291-3322." We dialed the number and reached Kermit Bohn in Sheridan, Mich., who bills himself as "the most unusual golf course architect in America". For the past 30 years he's been building golf courses all over the country working almost exclusively with farmers who have good locations, the right kind of soil (sandy), and the willingness to work hard to create a lush green golf course out of ordinary farmland. "Farmers are ideal for this because they understand soils and because they have heavy equipment that can be used for construction," says Bohn, who also builds the courses he designs, unlike most golf course architects. Once he finds a farmer to work with, he helps obtain necessary fmancing. He says his courses usually get built for much less than other courses because farmers who own the land usually help out, using tractors, disks, planters and other equipment to shape the land. Bohn would not reveal any fmancial details of his arrangements with farmers and says that to be a candidate, a farm must meet certain criteria including location (must be near a large enough population to be profitable), soil type, terrain, and so on. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Kermit Bohn, Box 172, Sheridan, Mich. 48884 (ph 517 291-3322).

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