(Photo of Detwiler Park GC by Amy E. Voight, The Blade)
The opening of the courses for 2019 had been delayed and imperiled because of weather, a need for upgraded maintenance equipment, and a management firm change. The funds were transferred from the city’s general fund to its golf course improvement fund, with the city council President also indicating that going forward, course revenues will now go directly into that golf course fund.
The city council of Toledo, Ohio has approved using $700,000 in general fund money to keep Toledo’s three municipal golf courses from shutting down, The Blade of Toledo reported. The council characterized the action as a one-time transfer to the city’s golf course improvement fund, rather than the loan that the administration of Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz had initially asked for.
C+RB reported in May on the crisis that the city was facing in getting the courses open for the 2019 season, as a result of unfavorable weather, a lack of funding for needed course-maintenance equipment, and the dismissal of the Master Golf Management Group from management of the three courses (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/toledo-ohio-still-without-municipal-golf-as-may-begins/).
City officials now predict that the Ottawa Park, Detwiler, and Collins Park golf courses will lose a combined $809,000 this year because of the delay in their opening, The Blade reported, which led for the request to the city council for a loan to cover the program’s deficit. Even as of the last week of June, only Ottawa Park was open for play, with some holes on that course closed because of flooding.
The Detwiler and Collins Park golf courses are now set to open by July 4th, The Blade reported.
Mayor Kapszukiewicz’s administration initially asked the council to approve a loan that was to be paid back to the general fund over 15 years through annual payments of $65,000, The Blade reported. But after a financial review showed that the city’s general fund has taken in more than $3.86 million from the golf course improvement fund since 1996, many councilmen said they viewed the $700,000 transfer simply as a repayment.
“This is not even a payment. It’s really a repayment of a portion of the profits that have been generated and were in the city’s golf fund, and $700,000 out of $3,863,000 pales,” Councilman Peter Ujvagi said. “I strongly support doing this and providing the dollars that hopefully will be sufficient to be able to operate through this year.”
The city council in January voted to leave a 10-year contract with the company one year early, after Master Golf Management struggled to maintain the properties and was unable to pay rent to the city, The Blade reported. City figures show that the courses lost money the past two years.
After discovering how the courses and maintenance equipment were left in poor condition by Master Golf Management, city officials evaluated and purchased mowers and other equipment from Master Golf for $150,000 for use by Davey Golf, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Co., that took over management of the three courses at the end of March and began working with city crews to try to get each course up to par. But it soon became clear that equipment needed to be replaced, The Blade reported.
“Somebody dropped the ball and we need to learn from that and we need to fix that and move forward,” Councilman Chris Delaney said.
The council then approved in May spending $99,000 a year for up to five years on a lease-purchase agreement with John Deere Financial to replace the city’s golf course maintenance equipment.
Councilman Delaney said he is glad the city is moving toward getting the courses back into shape so they’re able to open and once again generate revenue, The Blade reported. But the city’s leaders need to closely monitor Toledo’s golf program to make sure it is sustainable, he said.
“Just because we have a management company running a golf course doesn’t mean we don’t pay attention to what’s going on at these courses,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to provide this service to our citizens who expect to be able to go there and golf.”
Both councilmen Tom Waniewski and Yvonne Harper said they don’t want to be responsible for the courses shutting down and sitting idle, which is why they supported the one-time $700,000 transfer to keep them operational this year, The Blade reported.
Going forward, said Council President Matt Cherry, the revenue generated from the courses will stay in the golf course improvement fund rather than be transferred into the general fund.
Rob Ludeman was the lone councilman to vote against the $700,000 transfer, The Blade reported. He believes the city should privatize the golf courses.
“Let’s get through the year, that’s fine, but I think we need to put it in the hands of folks that are willing to take it over and do it in a privatized way,” he said.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.