Proposed budget cuts for the University of Wisconsin might one day reach all the way down to the school's highly regarded golf course.
The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, recently obtained emails between a top university official and a state representative who broached the subject over the winter, and didn't dismiss it as a possibility, though the option was never officially tabled for consideration beyond that initial discourse.
The university has been targeted for $300 million in cuts in Gov. Scott Walker's proposed biennial budget for 2015-17, including $91 million in cuts that must be made by July 1. According to the emails, Kooyenga asked Blank whether the university could sell the golf course to cover the funding cuts to the university.
Built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1991, the University Ridge Golf Course is ranked No. 3 on Golfweek's Best Campus Course list and is No. 7 on Golfweek's list of best public-access courses in Wisconsin. The course is owned by the university and is operated by the school's athletics department.
Blank indicated in the email exchange that she would consider selling the course if it is deemed a viable option, but that it was a decision for the university's board. Blank told The Capital Times the sale of the golf course could be enough by itself to absorb the proposed cuts to the university's budget.
University officials also said that while there are no specific plans on selling the golf course, they are exploring several options.
