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May 10, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: Words matter. And, of course, so does money. I trust you kept these two truths in mind when you read last week’s headline story about the agreement between Lexington Golf & Country Club and Washington and Lee University.
Was it a merger or an acquisition? It was between a 325-year-old university on solid financial grounds with the ability to market itself and its thousands of loyal alumni under a multi-billion dollar endowment umbrella; in contrast with a private county club that has failed to grow with the times during its 122-year-old history. For example, golfers today can freely mix the game they love with travel. As a result, many local clubs have folded. Without an injection of new ideas or new money, LGCC could be among them.
Sure sounds like LGCC was ripe for an acquisition and the poison pill. That’s why in future governing decisions W&L has been given a leg up. Still, two questions remain. What to do with a golf course too short for NCAA Division III play and how to spend a slice of a growing endowment without wasting it on reducing student costs?
How’s this? Use the rationale from Vietnam: You need to destroy a village in order to save it. Blow up a village; blow up a golf course.
This leaves a scheduling problem and a story. New grass grows according to nature not Memorandums of Understanding as was learned by grounds staff from W&L and Mr. Jefferson’s school with its historic Lawn. The two staffs flew over to England to learn how Cambridge and Oxford universities grow grass. No problem, they were told. Just give any new grass about 500 years as we have.
Finally, this may be of interest. At one of the town hall briefings, a club member rose to ask if such an arrangement has ever worked elsewhere. He was answered with a resounding, “Yes, Williams College!” Will Dudley was provost at Williams prior to becoming W&L’s president. DAVID REYNOLDS Rockbridge County
