A vote was scheduled to extend Duncan Golf Management’s contract with the city of Elko, Nev., but the Reno-based firm rescinded their request to continue. In February, Duncan reported having a “great” first year at Ruby View. Scott Wackowski, Vice President and Co-owner of the firm said the golf course generated an additional $200,000 for the City of Elko in 2021 from the driving range, merchandise sales and other sources.
A special Elko (Nev.) City Council meeting scheduled Nov. 15 on the future of managing Ruby View Golf Course was abruptly canceled the day before after the current management company dropped its request to renew their contract, the Elko Daily Free Press reported.
“Duncan Golf Management has rescinded their request to extend the Golf Management Agreement with the City of Elko, making the proposed special meeting unnecessary,” City Manager Curtis Calder stated in an e-mail.
Calder said the city will discuss options for the 2023 golf season at the next regularly scheduled city council meeting on Nov. 22, the Daily Free Press reported.
According to an agenda posted last week, the council was scheduled to consider a petition from golfers and other city residents expressing concern about operations at the golf course and requesting the city advertise for additional proposals, the Daily Free Press reported. After the discussion, council members were to consider approving a five-year extension of Duncan Golf Management’s contract.
During a meeting in February, Duncan reported having a “great” first year at Ruby View, the Daily Free Press reported. “It’s put back to where it was pre-pandemic,” Scott Wackowski, Vice President and Co-owner of the Reno, Nev.-based group, told the council.
He said the golf course generated an additional $200,000 for the City of Elko in 2021 from the driving range, merchandise sales and other sources, the Daily Free Press reported.
Council members voted in September to draw up a five-year contract extension despite complaints from some golfers about how the course was being run, the Daily Free Press reported. Duncan had requested to include maintenance responsibilities in its contract renewal, saying it did not want a management-only contract.
The only dissenting voice was Councilman Clair Morris, who told Duncan they did not deliver the results they promised, the Daily Free Press reported.
“I’m sorry, I just haven’t seen any positive things from this contract and I would not be in favor of renewing it for five years,” Morris said.
Wackowski said at the time that “it was a little surprising to hear all the negativity.” He pointed to his visit to Ruby View in August, the Daily Free Press reported, where he said “not one comment was brought to me. So it’s hard to get this negative feedback when it hasn’t been around; it hasn’t been shared with us for two years.”
Morris expressed doubts about Duncan’s ability to manage the course from 300 miles away, the Daily Free Pressreported. “I don’t think your priority is with Ruby View. It’s all in Reno,” he said.
With the pullout, the city will have no choice but to seek other proposals for managing the course, the Daily Free Press reported.
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