An investors group that includes the owner of three area golf courses has purchased the former Lac La Bell Country Club near Oconomowoc for $1.3 million.
The golf course was sold to the group by receiver Seth Dizard on behalf of First Bank Financial Centre, which took it back from the previous owner in a foreclosure action. The 18-hole, 140-acre golf course is located at W389 N6996 Pennsylvania St. in the Village of Lac La Belle.
The new ownership group includes Frank Romano, the owner of Blackstone Creek Golf Club in Germantown, Fire Ridge Golf Club in Grafton and Scenic View Country Club in Slinger; Troy Schmidt, a PGA golf pro and co-owner of Blackstone Creek; John Meunier, who has experience selling golf course equipment for Srixon and Cleveland Golf; and Dr. Bill Kraklow.
Lac La Belle Country Club was established in 1896 and was a private club for more than 100 years, Romano said. Members sold the golf course in 2007. It was most recently known as Rolling Hills Country Club.
“We felt we could come in and return the operation a little closer to its roots,” Romano said.
The golf course, now known as La Belle Golf Club, will remain open to the public but hopes to lure back former members, Romano said.
The course is “in good shape,” Romano said. “All of the bones of the property are great. It’s suffered a little neglect in the last couple of years as far as maintenance, but nothing we can’t bring back.”
The golf course has a 24,000-square-foot club house. It has a 250-seat banquet center that was not used by the previous ownership, but could again be a great wedding venue, Romano said.
“We hope to revise that,” he said.
Romano said his ownership of three other golf courses will help to maximize efficiencies for management and maintenance of La Belle Golf Club.
