Parkview Will Open on May 3 for 'Last Hurrah'

Parkview Golf Course's fate may be sealed, but owners and developers have decided to give local golfers one last shot at playing the course.

Parkview co-owner Robert Zakheim announced late last week that the course will open on May 3 for the spring season, and that all net proceeds from the driving range and green fees will be donated to a pair of local charity causes: The Eagan Resource Center and the family of former Parkview employee Ken Severson.

Severson, a longtime employee of the course, passed away of a rare heart condition. Proceeds will be used to bolster the college funds of Severson's two children.

"Parkview Golf Associates and Hunter Emerson are excited about this plan," Zakheim wrote in a news release issued late last week. "It allows the golf course to be used to help benefit several very worthwhile causes, while allowing the community and many loyal Parkview customers to enjoy some of their final swings at the Parkview range or course."

Earlier this spring, the Eagan City Council gave the green light to a plan to redevelop the golf course into a 170-unit residential development. The plan worried neighbors and golf course supporters, who sought a way to keep the course open or maintain green space on the roughly 80-acre site.

Parkview owners, who chose to sell the course to developer Hunter Emerson, had struggled financially for years, according to Zakheim.

The golf course's driving range opened on Friday, April 26, and will operate during normal business hours, according to Zakheim. The golf course will also play host to several charity golf tournanments, including a farewell charity golf event.