With the FAA mandating the Auburn University Regional Airport expand its runway to comply with new federal standards, Indian Pines Golf Course faces difficult decisions.

 

By Daniel Schmidt

March 3, 2022

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AUBURN, Ala. – In a blow to Lee County’s golf enthusiasts, the Federal Aviation Administration is briefly calling “fore” on Indian Pines Golf Course.

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On Tuesday, the Auburn City Council discussed the ultimate relocation of six golf holes at Indian Pines by 2024 after the FAA mandated the Auburn University Regional Airport expand its runway safety area.

 

The city council also mentioned that Home Goods will become the anchor tenant at the newly-rebranded The Plains shopping center located on Opelika Road. The Plains was formerly known as Flint’s Crossing.

 

With the relocation of the six golf holes expected to cost $6.8 million in total, the City of Auburn will contribute $1.15 million in five annual installments of $230,000 to the project.

 

The City Council also voted to enter a reimbursement agreement with The Plains for capital and public infrastructure improvements at Home Goods’ retail footprint. The 10-year agreement will not exceed $1.1 million in total, or $110,000 annually.

 

According to City Manager Megan Crouch, the FAA is requiring an expansion to the runway safety area so the airport can remain compliant with updated safety standards.

 

“This is to keep the runway open with the sized airplanes that come in today,” Crouch said. “This isn’t for new planes. I don’t want any [misconcetion] that some 737 jet can now land in Auburn.”

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Crouch said that once construction begins, the city expects that between nine to 11 acres around Indian Pines and Country Club Road will be impacted.

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Indian Pines will undergo a re-design so that it may continue to offer a complete 18-hole course.

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Mayor Ron Anders said that the city is committed to ensuring Indian Pines remains accessible to all residents.

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“It doesn’t matter what your job is, you can enjoy it,” Anders said. “It’s great for retirees, students and working people.”

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The re-design could cause brief changes to the university’s golf elective, which currently has around 400 students and holds classes at Indian Pines.

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Numbers provided by the Indian Pines Recreation Authority (IPRA) showed that 38,400 rounds of golf were played at the course in fiscal year 18/19; 44,500 in 19/20; and 52,600 in 20/21, despite the pandemic.

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“I really believe this is an important amenity to our community,” Anders said. “This golf course really meets the needs of a lot of people in our community.” 

    

Bob Norman, an IPRA board member, said that there is a silver lining to the airport expansion project.

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“This is a blessing in disguise,” Norman said. “The irrigation system is way out of date. We can’t even get parts for it anymore.”

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Based on the project’s financial plan presented during the city council meeting, the IPRA will borrow $500,000 to assist in covering the course’s re-design costs. That includes the cost to install a new irrigation system.

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Indian Pines is expected to close at the end of 2022 as work on the airport expansion project commences. Work on the expansion must be completed by 2024 for the airport to remain compliant with the FAA’s updated standards.

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The city council also approved changes to the times when Committee of the Whole and City Council meetings begin. Moving forward, Committee of the Whole meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m., and City Council meetings will begin at 6 p.m.

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“As a council member, I have not received any negative response via email,” Councilman Bob Parsons said.

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City Council members justified these changes in part by mentioning that citizens have increased access to meetings online.

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“The beauty of our meetings is that they are streamed online, social media and the radio, so hopefully that still leaves an option for people to stay engaged,” Councilwoman Beth Witten said.

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While the airport expansion project may cause major changes to Indian Pines, it could prove to be a hole-in-one for everyone.