Golf club taken over by Hempstead Town reopening Sunday

Hempstead Town officials will reopen the renovated Lido Golf Club for Father’s Day.

The town took control of the golf course from its prior operator, Double Eagle Golf, who ran the facility for 20 years before it was evicted by the town at the end of its contract June 3.

The golf course was closed for two weeks while the town assumed operations. Town board members passed an urgent resolution during last week’s meeting to spend $289,914 to lease 75 golf carts for the next four years.

The agreement pays Medford-based Fairway Golf Car Corp. $64,978 each year to lease the golf carts, in addition to an annual $7,500 service agreement.

Town officials said the town added the contract at the last minute to the June 6 meeting to ensure the equipment was available for the club’s reopening Sunday. Double Eagle did not transfer any carts to the town after they ceased control, a town spokesman said.

Town officials said the new golf course facing Reynolds Channel in Lido Beach will include rebuilt bridges, repaved paths and renovated restrooms.

“The time is right for the town to run the day-to-day operations of the Lido Golf Club,” Town Supervisor Anthony Santino said in a statement. “The beautiful South Shore course attracts golfers from the entire region to enjoy one of Hempstead Town’s gems.”

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A Nassau County Supreme Court judge ruled last month that the town could assume control of the golf course once the town decided to end all outside bids this spring.

Double Eagle’s management had sued the town arguing they were owed about $800,000 for work done after Double Eagle spent $1.5 million in repairs made after superstorm Sandy in late 2012. The town had waived leasing fees for Double Eagle for the past four years, but demanded payment in February for $362,911.

Double Eagle’s attorneys said the town never expressed any concerns with how the course was operated.

Town attorneys said Double Eagle failed to make $2.1 million in capital improvements since it assumed control in 1997. Double Eagle was ordered by the town not to schedule any events after their contract expired.

Hempstead officials billed the course as “one of the toughest stretch of finishing holes on Long Island.”

Golf club rates range from $20 for nine holes during early hours to $44 for 18 holes on weekends and holidays.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.