Efforts to save the River Road Golf Course came up short at city hall Tuesday.
One of three city-owned golf properties, politicians voted to recommend closing River Road and selling the land, reinvesting funds of the sale in the city golf system.
The decision came after a two-hour debate on the issue, with more than 50 golfers writing letters to council lobbying to save the course, and with many threatening to take their memberships elsewhere if the course is closed.
The 18-hole course near Veterans Memorial Parkway has been on the chopping block before.
Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen was a vocal opponent this time around. He questioned why a closure was being considered during a pandemic when the sport has seemingly seen an increase in popularity.
He put forward a motion, that was ultimately defeated, that would keep the course open in 2021 and defer the debate on its future until next year.
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“To close it for good in the middle of the pandemic forgoes any of the benefits that we would look for,” said Van Meerbergen, adding that tee times were often hard to come by last summer.
“We saw last year in the golf season just how booked up they (courses) were.”
Coun. Maureen Cassidy argued that keeping the course open would only hurt the quality of golf the city could offer.
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“If we are going to make the best golf experience through our golf facilities that we possibly can, we need to have the funds to do that,” Cassidy said.
“If we continue to kick this can down the road one more year, our existing golf facilities will continue to deteriorate.”
The city’s other two golf properties, Thames Valley and Fanshawe, will continue to operate.
A city report says there is only $158,000 left in the reserve fund of a program that faces $6 million in needed capital costs over the next decade.
“We can’t make those improvements when our reserve fund is constantly being drained to keep River Road open,” Cassidy said.
Politicians ultimately voted 9-5 to recommend closing the course and selling the land, reinvesting funds of the sale in the city golf system.
City council will get the final say on the future of River Road when it meets next week.
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