Data Centers and Golf Courses: A New Frontier or a Troubling Trend?

So, there’s this golf course, right? Rustic Glen in Michigan. Nice little place, 18 holes, the whole nine yards. And guess what? The new owners? They’re building a $16 billion data center next door. Yeah, you heard me. A goddamn data center. Like we don’t have enough of those sucking up power and making weird noises. This is some next-level stuff, and frankly, it’s got a lot of people scratching their heads. Or maybe they’re just pissed off. Hard to tell sometimes.

You hear about AI, right? Reshaping everything. Jobs, economies, maybe even, I don’t know, civilization itself. But what about a local golf course? Seems like a pretty small potato in the grand scheme of things. But for the folks in Saline, Michigan, a quiet little farming town south of Ann Arbor, this data center thing has become the main topic of conversation. And it’s not exactly a feel-good story for everyone.

The Golf Pro’s Perspective: Cautious Optimism?

Scott Schimmoeller, the head pro and general manager at Rustic Glen, he’s been dealing with this firsthand. He’s heard all the horror stories about data centers. The noise. The insane amount of power and water they guzzle. How they seem to be popping up everywhere, swallowing up green spaces and, yes, sometimes golf courses. You can see why he’d be worried, right? Like, is this the end of Rustic Glen as we know it?

But here’s the kicker. Schimmoeller says his fears have been, for the most part, calmed. He’s gotten good vibes, apparently. Heard they’re actually planning to keep Rustic Glen as a golf course. How’s that for a twist? He’s getting this intel from local chatter and, get this, a letter from the developers themselves, Related Digital. This New York outfit bought the course, and their letter to the “amazing Rustic Glen Golf Course team” was all about keeping it a “great golf course and community amenity.” No layoffs, they said. Just continuity. The goal is for the course to feel the same. Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?

The Data Center Developer: Big Plans, Big Controversy

Now, Related Digital. They’re not exactly strangers in Saline and the surrounding Bridgewater Township. They call themselves a data-center development and investment platform. Basically, they build these massive facilities. And they’ve been making waves locally since last year when word got out about their plans for something called “The Barn.” This is a huge, multi-billion dollar data center project. And who’s it for? None other than OpenAI, the folks behind ChatGPT, and Oracle, the cloud computing giant. So, yeah, this isn’t some small-time operation.

The community reaction? Fierce. Local officials initially said no to rezoning farmland for the project. But then Related Digital and some landowners sued the town, claiming it was “exclusionary zoning.” More legal drama and public outcry followed. There was even a stink over Oracle wanting a 50 percent tax break, even though they claimed it would still rake in $147 million a year for the town, county, and schools. In the end, Oracle got its tax break, and Related Digital chipped in $14 million to the township and local fire departments. The Barn is going up, slated for completion in 2027. But you can bet there are still plenty of folks around town who aren’t happy about this $16 billion behemoth, and signs protesting the data center are still plastered everywhere.

A Golf Course’s History: More Than Just Fairways

Rustic Glen itself has a history that goes way back, long before this data center drama. It started as a nine-hole course in the 1960s. Then, in the 90s, some father-and-son team, Harley and Greg Hodges, bought it and beefed it up to 18 parkland-style holes. Pretty standard stuff for a golf course.

Fast forward to 2024. The course was picked up by Corey Byron and Keith Giffin. These guys are Michigan natives, deeply involved in golf. Byron co-founded a First Tee chapter in Detroit and is a director for the Western Golf Association. Back in the mid-2000s, they started Hole Out Golf Shop, an online golf retailer that’s still around. They also own three other courses in Michigan. And get this, they’re working on a private destination club in Alabama, called The Coal Club, with a fancy Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner design set to open in late 2027 or early 2028. Busy guys.

Apparently, the Alabama project is a real time-suck. That’s why Byron and Giffin decided to put Rustic Glen on the market, even though it was their best-performing course. They listed it in March for $3.8 million, before the data center got the green light. By summer, the rumors started flying that Related Digital was going to buy it. And boom, the deal closed just this past Tuesday. Funny thing, there was another rumor floating around before the sale that Rustic Glen was going to be shut down or redeveloped. Byron says that wasn’t true, but Related Digital actually mentioned those rumors in their letter to the employees as a reason they stepped in – to “preserve” the course. Talk about spin.

The Price Tag: Data Centers Pay Top Dollar

The actual sale price for Rustic Glen wasn’t announced. But data center developers? They have a reputation for dropping insane amounts of cash on land. Golf courses included. Just last August, Dauphin Highlands in Pennsylvania sold to a data center developer for nearly $50 million. That’s like, ten times its assessed market value. It’s a pattern. You’ve got data centers popping up as a major concern in the golf industry, with debates happening in at least five other states about turning courses into hubs for AI. It’s a whole thing.

For now, though, Rustic Glen is staying in familiar hands. Related Digital said the old owners will stick around through the end of the year to make sure the transition is smooth. Byron confirmed that’s happening. What happens after that? Who the hell knows. But a spokesperson for Related Digital reiterated their “long-term” commitment to the course, pointing to their track record with other recreational spots, like Wollman Rink in Central Park. Byron himself said his chats with Related Digital have him convinced it’ll be a “very positive thing for the golfers of Rustic Glen.”

Playing the Game with a Giant Next Door

So, the big question remains: how will this massive data center next door actually affect the experience of playing Rustic Glen? The Barn’s campus is right up against the course, near the driving range and holes 2 and 3. Data centers are known for that constant, industrial hum. And let’s be honest, they’re not exactly pretty. Byron told people that the campus is so big, he doesn’t expect noise to be a problem. But he also admits it’s hard to ignore a construction site that he described as looking like “one of those military bases from a Bruce Willis movie.” You know, the kind with all the concrete and the imposing structures.

Late Friday afternoon, as the data center construction rumbled on, the course itself was quiet. The clubhouse and restaurant were empty, according to a guy who answered the phone at the pro shop but didn’t want his name used. He said, “There are a lot of people around here who don’t like the data center.” But, he added, “I haven’t heard golfers talking about it much. They mostly just seem happy that the course is still open.”

When it comes to the long-term future of Rustic Glen, the local golfers are apparently taking a page out of the rest of the country’s book when it comes to AI: a wait-and-see approach. It’s hard to blame them. Who knows what the future holds when massive tech infrastructure is being built right next to your favorite place to hit a ball?

What Does This Mean for Golf Courses?

This whole situation at Rustic Glen is more than just a local story. It’s a sign of a bigger trend. Data centers are everywhere. They need space. And golf courses, with their vast tracts of land, are becoming prime real estate for developers. It’s a tough pill to swallow for golfers who see their courses as sacred ground, places of escape and recreation.

The promise of keeping these courses open is a common line from developers. But the reality of living next to a data center – the noise, the constant activity, the visual impact – is something else entirely. It’s a trade-off that communities and golfers are increasingly being forced to consider. Will golf courses become obsolete as land becomes too valuable for anything else? Or will we see more creative solutions, where golf and technology can somehow coexist?

For now, the situation at Rustic Glen is a perfect example of this evolving landscape. It’s a story of big money, technological advancement, and the future of a beloved pastime. We’re all just watching to see how it plays out. It’s a messy business, this whole golf and tech intersection. And frankly, it’s a little unnerving. You can find more information about the impact of AI and technology on various industries, including real estate and development, by checking out resources like McKinsey’s insights on AI .