By Joseph Marks, staff writer

Albert Lea will be a town of two golf courses again sometime in 2008, according to preliminary plans for a new course north of Pickerel Lake.

Hugh O’Byrne, of Hugh O’Byrne Century 21 Realty Inc., said Wednesday that he and Clayton Petersen, a local agronomist, plan to build an 18-hole golf course on the north side of Pickerel Lake that will be open to the public.

He said the course will cover about 7,000 yards with several water hazards and at least four par-5 holes. In golf, the higher the par, the longer the hole. Par 6 is very rare in the world of golf.

O’Byrne said he and Petersen hope to bring their plans to the Albert Lea Planning Commission in August and begin construction this fall. He said he hopes to have the course seeded in 2007 and to be open for business by spring or early summer of 2008.

&8220;One reason we’re doing this is the Albert Lea Country Club closed,&8221; O’Byrne said, &8220;and Albert Lea does need two golf courses. And the Emmons Golf Course was purchased by the casino and now will be a private club. We feel we have a market.&8221;

The Albert Lea Golf Club closed May 12 when the Des Moines-based owners sold it to commercial developer Scott LaFavre of Lakeville. He said he plans to turn the course into a high-end residential development. That left Green Lea Golf Course as the only operating course in Albert Lea.

Dubuque-based Diamond Jo Casino purchased the public Arrowhead Golf Course in Emmons on April 6, which it plans to open next fall as a private club.

O’Byrne said his new course will be called Wedgewood Golf Course because it will occupy land to the west and east of Wedgewood Road and because &8220;wedge&8221; and &8220;wood&8221; both refer to golf clubs.

He said he and Petersen both own land for the golf course. He said, together, the two men own enough land to build the golf course but they are considering trying to purchase some additional property in the area. He said the course will be built around four houses that are currently on the property.

O’Byrne said the two men also plan to sell residential lots on the new course.

He said the club will boast a practice green and a driving range and they hope to keep the land as natural as possible.

&8220;It’s a beautiful piece of land,&8221; he said, &8220;very rolling with lots of water and some wetlands.&8221;

O’Byrne said the new course’s clubhouse will have a bar and snack shop but no dining hall.

O’Byrne joked that he and Petersen are just the right combination for this venture.

&8220;I feel we have an awfully good partnership,&8221; he said. &8220;Clayton’s an agronomist. He can make things grow. I’m a Realtor, and I can make things sell.&8221;