Grinnell College Golf Course Visioning Workshops Follow-Up

Jan 6, 2023

participants at golf course visioning sessions looking at vision boards

Over 250 participants engaged in the Grinnell College Golf Course Visioning Workshops this past summer. Over the course of two full days, these workshops sparked conversations, invited the sharing of history, and cultivated new ideas.

According to Grinnell College Vice President Community Engagement and Strategic Planning Monica Chavez-Silva, the events of the fall semester — including racist harassment on campus and in the city of Grinnell — have meant that the College’s community work has necessarily focused on steps to address the harm being done to colleagues, friends, and students. Addressing these issues with campus and community members has taken precedence because of the urgency of this problem.

The College is now able to provide a progress update on the Grinnell College Golf Course Project. The workshop facilitators — David Bagnoli of StudioMB (the architecture and planning firm behind the “Zone of Confluence”) and Jonathan Ceci (the lead landscape architect behind the College’s landscape master plan) — have shared some preliminary ideas generated by the feedback they heard at the workshops.

The plans are ambitious in their vision for what changes can be made at the golf course to make the facility more inviting for a broader range of users and an even stronger place for gathering and connection. Because of the strong prospects for partnership, the College leadership team will now reach out to potential partners in the community to thoroughly analyze the consultants’ proposals to determine their feasibility and potential next steps. Grinnell College is actively working with partners on all aspects of the project, including programming and funding.

The College remains committed to its ambitious goals and to investing in the Grinnell Golf Course and all that it can contribute to the well-being of all Grinnellians.

“We are grateful for the input shared by the individuals who participated in the visioning sessions and thank them for their patience with this project. We deeply value the feedback, the creative work that has taken place, and the connections that have been shared. We look forward to the continued work ahead. Please watch for updates on this project in the spring,” shared Chavez-Silva.

The College encourages community members to take advantage of the beautiful spaces and opportunities at the Grinnell Golf Course in the winter months. Follow this link for Winter events and programs at GCGC.