On July 22, the City of San Diego granted operator Justine Lee’s request to reduce the minimum rent on the city-owned golf course from $1,170.88 per month to $850 per month. Lee cited low attendance despite increased marketing efforts and some course improvements for the property’s financial struggles.

The City of San Diego has agreed to cut Presidio Hills Golf Course’s minimum rent from $1,170.88 per month to $850 per month, the San Diego Mission Valley Times reported.

On July 22, the city granted operator Justine Lee’s request to reduce the minimum rent on the city-owned golf course. Lee sent a letter to the city in May saying that low attendance was making it difficult for him to break even, the Times reported.

“Although we have increased our marketing efforts [and] made some course improvements, the additional pay is not anywhere near what we would have expected,” Lee wrote. “We are now in the summer months and will be further impacted by the cost of [the] water bill even [though] we are expecting more revenue than slow season.”

Green fees are $10 on weekdays and $12 on weekends. Juniors and seniors get a $2 discount, the Times reported.

The swaths of brown on the course now are the result of a hefty water bill and outdated irrigation infrastructure, Lee said. Larry Stirling, a local resident, accused Lee of being a poor steward of one the city’s more valuable assets, the Times reported.

“This guy is totally unqualified to lease the place,” Stirling said.

The permit that allows Lee to operate the city golf course requires Lee to maintain the property “in good order and repair and in a safe, healthy, and sanitary condition at all times.” It requires Lee to keep the property “free and clear of rubbish, debris, and litter at all times” and to keep it “free and clear of weeds and brush” to the satisfaction of the city, the Times reported.

Stirling alleged that Lee destroyed the landscaping and irrigation system by allowing cars to park on the western portion of the course during Cinco de Mayo, the Times reported.

Lee declined to respond to questions about his management of the course, citing a right to privacy, adding that he could not talk about business details without the city’s authorization, the Times reported.

Lee’s permit to operate the course expires at the end of the year. A renewal does not require City Council approval unless the Real Estate Assets Department wants to grant a permit term longer than three years, the Times reported.