SaDonna Manfull, general manager of Jackrabbit Run Golf Course, gives a presentation at the Dec. 9 Grand Island City Council meeting about proposed fee changes at the golf course.
GRAND ISLAND – The Grand Island City Council voted 9-0 Dec. 9 to approve changes to Jackrabbit Run Golf Course fees.
City Council member Mike Paulick was absent from the meeting.
SaDonna Manfull, general manager of Jackrabbit Run Golf Course, gave a presentation about the fee changes. She said that comparisons were made to fees at Indianhead Golf Course and Centura Hills Golf Club in Cairo in determining rate increases but said that those golf courses have different business models.
On Oct. 28, the City Council approved a new golf management contract for Jackrabbit Run Golf Course. Landscapes Golf Management is completing its five-year agreement with the city which was signed in November 2020. Landscapes Golf Management wanted to manage Jackrabbit Run Golf Course for another five years. The base management fee was $6,955 per month, with a 3 percent increase per year.
Manfull said that, unfortunately, the golf course was having to deal with an increase in minimum wage to $15 per hour.
City Council member Chuck Haase said that he had asked that the item be pulled from the last City Council meeting. He said that he would support the fee increases based on information provided.
Haase said he was concerned about one rate change that would lower the age of a child that would be charged for golfing with an adult. The previous age range was from 10 to 15 years old. The proposed change was dropping that age to 6 years old. The fee for weekday golfing would increase from $13.02 to $14.88.
“I don’t like to have a 6-year-old paying for golf,” Haase said.
Another concern was the increase in complimentary rounds of golf. In 2021, there were 395 complimentary rounds. In 2025, there were 1,800 complimentary rounds. Manfull said that the complimentary rounds are provided for employees and are incentives for them to work at Jackrabbit Run. She said that Jackrabbit Run is approached about making donations to charitable organizations. The best response is to provide a certificate for complimentary rounds versus a cash donation, Manfull said.
Although it was stated that there was a 33 percent decline in junior participation, Manfull said that was not correct.
“Junior rounds are not down,” Manfull said.
She said that the Nebraska Golf Association has a program to encourage juniors to golf. People up to age 19 can pay a $25 fee to the Golf Association, and then the person can pay $5 a day to golf.
Manfull said that there were approximately 28,000 rounds in 2025, which was an increase from the previous year.
Manfull said that there are benefits for the golf course being managed by Landscapes Golf Management. For instance, the golf course has a website and an app.
Manfull pointed out that Jackrabbit Run Golf Course is the home course for Northwest High School’s golf teams. The golf course hosts high school conference and district meets. Those items show the golf course’s support for junior golfing.
City Council member Mitch Nickerson said that prices for “everything else in the city” are going up. He said he did not want Manfull to feel guilty that the golf course was asking for fee increases.
He described Jackrabbit Run as a “gorgeous” golf course.
Some of the fee changes are:
*9 holes of golf, $21.40 in 2025 to $24,19 in 2026.
*18 holes of golf, $29.77 in 2025 to $33.49 in 2026.
*Weekday golfing for youth ages 6 to 15, $13.02 in 2025 to $14.88 in 2026.
*Adult seven-day pass, $744.19 in 2025 to $836.28 in 2026.
*Junior/student seven-day pass (includes full-time college students), $348.84 in 2025 to $594.42 in 2026.
According to Jackrabbit Run Golf Course’s website, the course features a 6,700 yard, par 72 championship design. The golf course has a restaurant called “The Rabbit’s Den.”
