Some residents whose properties abut the publicly owned golf courses are complaining about the un-mown sections, which are the result of a lack of funding.
The city of Tulsa, Okla., has stopped mowing out-of-play areas at publicly owned golf courses, prompting concern from individuals whose property abuts the courses, the Tulsa World reported.
Tom Wolff, a General Manager with Billy Casper Golf Management, which operates Page Belcher and Mohawk golf courses for the city, said property owners next to the golf courses have come to expect that the courses will be mowed in full, the World reported.
Now, due to a lack of funding, he can only afford to run two passes of a lawn mower next to the abutting private property, leaving the rest of the grass to grow unattended, the World reported.
“They (property owners) like looking out their windows and seeing a golf course that is 100 percent maintained, and I don’t blame them,” Wolff said.
Wolff said that despite seeing a slight increase in rounds played at city golf courses last fiscal year, he is concerned that the reduction in mowing could end up being bad for business. It doesn’t help, he added, that he doesn’t have the funds to replenish the golf courses’ sand traps, the World reported.
“Some [golfers] don’t like it; some don’t seem to care,” Wolff said. “I haven’t really heard anyone say ‘I’m glad you’re letting these areas grow native.’ ”
Wolff and City Councilor Jeannie Cue plan to meet with local residents today to discuss the mowing issues. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Page Belcher Golf Course clubhouse. Cue, like Wolff, said most of the complaints she has heard are about Page Belcher, the World reported.
These courses “are for residents that can’t necessarily afford a high-priced facility, so we want to make sure the good facilities are kept up,” Cue said.
Billy Casper Golf Management began operating the city’s golf courses in 2008. At the time, the city did not mow the out-of-play areas on the golf courses. The management company began mowing all of the courses in late 2011 and 2012 when new Bermuda grass was added, the World reported.
In 2010, after Billy Casper Golf Management fell behind on its water bill, the city agreed to pick up the cost with the understanding that the money saved would go back into maintaining the golf courses, Wolff said. He estimates that amounted to about $180,000 to $250,000 a year, the World reported.
Beginning in fiscal year 2014, Billy Casper Golf again assumed responsibility for the water bill—an annual cost now estimated at $400,000 a year, Wolff said. The estimated cost of the water, coupled with the city’s decision not to replenish a $500,000 “safety net” this fiscal year, has left Billy Casper Golf no choice but to cut costs where it can, Wolff told the World.
“That is our biggest expense and our biggest variable,” Wolff said. “I have to anticipate a water bill that is going to be between $180,000 to $400,000, and if I don’t have the cash to pay for it, that is a problem.”
Page Belcher and Mohawk golf courses cover approximately 700 acres, about 400 to 480 acres of which are playable land, Wolff said.
City spokeswoman Michelle Allen said the city is re-establishing the native areas in the golf courses to reduce maintenance expenses, the World reported.
“A number of areas will be converted to their natural state,” she said, “and it is our hope that the changes will have minimal impact on homeowners, rounds and revenues.”
She noted that it has been the city’s policy for years to mow two passes along the fence lines where possible, the World reported.
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