Golf Course Update: The Open House

Short report on City Council Open House, Wednesday, 19 March 08

By Dan S.

No time for a full report, but here are a few things I learned at last night's open house...

About 2/3 of the $2 million "golf course debt" consists of interest that the accountants didn't even keep on the books until a couple of years ago, when they went back and retroactively figured out what the interest accumulated over the many preceding years should have been. The claim is that the city's auditors told them to do that, but I'll bet the auditors did not tell them that this interest had to be added onto the golf course debt, rather than somewhere else in the city's balance sheet.

Consequently, the new interest on the debt that the golf course is supposed to pay each year has risen dramatically. In 2004 the new interest was less than $20,000, while in 2007 it was just over $100,000. That's partly because of the compounded interest, and partly (apparently) because the interest rate has increased. If the debt could be somehow paid off or forgiven, the annual golf course deficit would immediately drop to a little under $200,000.

The name(s) of the professional golf course designer(s) that the city has consulted is/are a secret. However, the conceptual drawing of a redesigned course that was on display showed the initials "J.G." Apparently this person is unwilling to put his/her name on the design at this time. The claim was that this is because the work was done pro bono, and to use the designer's name, the city would have to pay a fee.

The $6 million cost of such a redesign does not include relocating the clubhouse or paying off the existing $2 million debt. So it seems to me that implementing this option would actually require bonding for about $10 million.

J.G.'s conceptual design shows an unlabeled dashed line along the approximate alignment of the previously proposed Malan's Basin gondola.

Those in attendance at the event included Mayor Godfrey, council members Jeske, Stephens, and Gochnour, John Patterson, George Benford, John Arrington, Todd Brenkman, and other golf course personnel, as well as Curt and Bob Geiger and Gadi Leshem. From where they were standing and what I heard them say, the Geigers and Leshem seemed most interested in the redesign option.

Editor's Addendum: Ace Reporter Schwebke also provides a writeup on last night's open house event, in this morning's Standard-Examiner.

Although we've already had some discussion of last night's open house in yesterday's article comment section, we're posting a new article for the sake of continuity, and to allow those readers who haven't yet commented to offer their impressions of last night's event -- or alternatively -- to blow off a little pent-up steam.

Have at it, gentle readers.