North Hempstead set to approve 20-year contract for new Harbor Links Golf Course operator

The North Hempstead Town Board authorized hiring a new operator for Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, replacing the longtime manager of the town-run golf course.

The board last week gave Supervisor Jennifer DeSena authority to execute an agreement with Brooke Holdings LLC to become the Port Washington course's new operator. The agreement to manage the town-run course runs 20 years and is expected to generate $18 million in rent and additional revenues, according to a town board resolution. The final terms of the contract have yet to be ironed out, town officials said.

Century Golf Partners has managed the 168-acre course since its opening in 1998. Its contract is set to expire on Dec. 31, town officials said.

The founder of Brooke Holdings LLC is professional golfer Kelley Brooke. She is also an owner of the Bethpage Golf Group, which runs the pro shop, driving range, carts and instruction at Bethpage State Park Golf Course. She became the property's first female director of golf.

In an interview, Brooke recalled watching Harbor Links being built in the late 1990s when she was operating the nearby Alley Pond Golf Center in Queens.

"It was such an exciting thing for the Town of North Hempstead, and I'm so pleased that I have the ability now to invest my own money and really take this course to a whole other level," she said.

Andy Gaudet, vice president of operations for Century Golf, told Newsday he was “very disappointed” in the town's decision.

“We did respond to the RFPs that went out,” Gaudet said. “I guess our communication with the town and our response didn’t meet the requirements they were looking for.”

New revenue arrangement

The agreement with Century Golf stipulates that the company is paid $250,000 annually. Century Golf is also eligible to receive 10% of course revenues if the town exceeds budget projections. The town recorded revenues of $419,684 in 2023, $740,675 in 2022 and $733,742 in 2021, officials said.

Under the arrangement with Brooke, the company would pay the town annual rent along with a portion of revenue that is generated at the course.

Brooke will pay $350,000 in rent for the first year of the lease; $850,000 for years two through five; $900,00 for years six through 10; $950,000 for years 11 through 15; and $1 million for the final five years of the contract. Brooke will also pay the town 15% of any revenue generated above $7 million annually. Brooke also plans to contribute $2.7 million in capital improvements to the course in 2025, officials said.

The course has grown in popularity. In 2023, there were 44,858 rounds played on the 18-hole course, and 33,941 rounds on the nine-hole course — representing the highest usage over the past 10 years. 

“The reason for the change is obvious,” said town spokesperson Umberto Mignardi. “We’re looking for a better, more profitable negotiation for the taxpayers.”

Political infighting

The board voted 4-3 for the agreement, with Republican council members Ed Scott, Dennis Walsh and David Adhami joining DeSena, a registered Democrat who caucuses with Republicans. The Democratic council members — Robert Troiano, Mariann Dalimonte and Christine Liu — voted against it.

Democrats said they were not given enough time to vet the resolution. They also said they took issue with the vote taking place before the contract had been finalized.

“I don’t understand how anyone expects me to vote on a 20-year contract,” Dalimonte said at the board meeting. “Twenty years is a very long time. A 20-year contract, and just finding out Friday afternoon at 3 or 4 o’clock, and voting on it Tuesday at 7. … I have a problem with the administration.”

DeSena responded that council members are not authorized to engage in negotiations and that it is standard practice for the board to vote on agreements at this stage.

“The most important thing is that we have this continuity of service for our residents," DeSena said.

Both Town of Hempstead golf courses are town-operated. The Honorable Joseph Colby Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course in Woodbury is operated by Lessing's on a 20-year, $13.7 million contract, officials said. Lessing's pays $600,000 in annual rent to Oyster Bay, officials said.

In March 2023, some town residents complained that North Hempstead was approving too many private events at Harbor Links. As a result, there were fewer tee times available for the public. Town officials said they were working on a compromise, including limiting the private outings to Mondays.

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.