The average rounds of golf played at the San Jose, Calif., golf course have declined more than 28% since it opened in 2002, and it costs the city up to $1.7 million annually, but residents are adamant about maintaining the amenity.
Despite years of declining usage and rising costs, a recent survey suggests San Jose, Calif., residents want the city to maintain the Los Lagos Golf Course, the San Jose-based Mercury News reported.
Opened in 2002, a recent survey of more than 3,700 people presented to the City Council on February 6 found that keeping the 18-hole municipal course open was the most popular option. Residents appear less interested in alternatives, including turning the land into a park that might or might not include a golf course or converting the land into protected space with no public access, the Mercury News reported.
“We believe that the continued operation of Los Lagos Golf Course is in the best interest of the city,” wrote Jean Dresden, a member of an organization called San Jose Parks Advocates, in a memo to council members.
Yet initial predictions that the course would pay for itself haven’t panned out and the city is struggling to figure out how to draw people to the area and bring in a profit. In 2016-17, the city forked over $621,756 to subsidize the course, up from $386,893 in 2014-15. And the number of rounds of golf played on the course during that time fell to 47,049 from 50,078. And the golf course carries a debt service until 2031, which costs the city $1.5-$1.7 million annually, the Mercury News reported.
While the average rounds of golf played at Los Lagos have declined more than 28% since the course opened. The city’s agreement with the company that manages the course, Courseco, ends in June, and the city is aiming to reach a final decision on what to do with the space later in the year, the Mercury News reported.
“It should remain a park at some level,” said Deb Kramer, executive director of the group Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful.
But because it was financed using tax-exempt bonds and the city charter requires that it be used for recreation unless voters decide otherwise, the short-term options are limited, the Mercury News reported.
“This has been a very difficult issue to resolve,” said Angel Rios, Director of Parks and Recreation.
There are other challenges. A sizable homeless population lives in the area. Much of the course is located in a flood zone and a three-acre spot near the parking lot contains contaminated soil, which could make building on the area in the future challenging. Los Lagos is also in a riparian corridor, which would restrict where developers could build for environmental reasons. The city’s living wage policies also make it difficult to attract companies to manage the space, the Mercury News reported.
“This is land that should remain public open space,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo at the council meeting. “The focus is really trying to get us past this financing issue.”
After an intense and sometimes contentious debate, council members agreed with the suggestion that city officials come back to the City Council within a year and a half to discuss other options for Los Lagos after exploring ways to pay off the debt, which could include selling city property. Ultimately, that means golfers aren’t in imminent danger of losing the course, the Mercury News reported.
Councilman Tam Nguyen said during the meeting that city officials need to do a better job of marketing the course and letting residents know it’s there for them, the Mercury News reported.
Regardless of which direction the city ultimately goes, said Rios, “We’ve heard loud and clear from our golf community that this is an asset they’d like to maintain.”
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.