Tucson golfers are planning a protest on Monday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, regarding the selection of a private management firm to run the City’s golf courses.
The golfers are upset since the selection of private management for the courses was carried out behind closed doors. Their concerns are mirrored by the group, which filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents from the City regarding the proposed Grand Canyon University purchase of El Rio Golf Course. In that case, a lawsuit was filed due to the City’s refusal to honor the public’s right to know about public transactions.
Golfers argue that City Golf has, in fact, been making a profit, which they say negates the case for having private management for the courses. They note that the basic fee the private management company is charging is, coincidentally, the same as the profit the courses are making. The firm will also receive a share of any profit that City Golf makes.
Golfers are concerned that there is no guarantee that El Rio will remain open under the new management, if the firm decides that El Rio does not make a big enough profit for their needs.
Resident golfers are seeking answers on how an outside management company will improve and benefit City Golf in Tucson. Tucson is in a precarious situation of drawing fewer people to golf courses resulting in lost revenue for the city.
In recent years, Tucson golf has reached a critical mass. There are 62 golf courses in the region and many of these courses, public and private, are failing. Last year alone our city saw a number of elite courses in the metropolitan area, including La Paloma, Vistoso, Arizona National, Canoa Hills, 49rs and others file for bankruptcy or restructuring. Some of these courses were under outside management and are struggling to survive.
There is a great deal of support for the current management by area golfers. Golfers believe that initially, the City had only asked for proposals from private firms and had not expected a large response from the private sector. The City received 15 bids, and then proceeded to engage in a deal behind closed doors, say the golfers.
City golfers are questioning a promise made last year to give the City Golf Course Management Team two years to show a profit yet, are in final negotiations with two outside golf management companies. After just ten months, the City Golf Courses are back in the black, paying down more than $200,000 debt to the general fund. City golfers are requesting an explanation for this arbitrary decision which violates their agreement. Furthermore, they will question if the City Golf Management Team will be given equal opportunity to compete for the contract, as promised.
The golfers want to know if greens fees are expected go up, and how might the First Tee Junior Golf be affected?
They say that City Golf is the only self-sufficient recreational sport not subsidized by the City of Tucson, and ask, “If it’s not broke, why is the City Council trying to fix it by gambling with the future of our courses?”