Comments (0) | |

Friday, Jun. 19, 2009

Dublin may privatize golf course

DUBLIN — The city of Dublin could soon be out of the golfing business.

City Council is considering privatizing the city-owned Riverview Golf Course, which, since 1999, has lost an average of $80,000 a year. Dublin taxpayers have been left to foot the bill, even though most of the golfers come from outside the city, Mayor Phil Best said at Thursday night’s council meeting.

The city has discussed turning the course over to the Dublin-Laurens County Recreation Authority, but county officials have been lukewarm to that idea, council members said. The city kept control of the course during a recreation merger in July 1999.

“That, in hindsight, was a mistake, and joint ownership is now still a viable option council needs to consider,” Best said. “The expenses of Riverview Golf Course should be shared by all Laurens County citizens.”

Contrary to “many rumors,” Best and council members said, there are no plans to sell or close the course.

Ed Pierce, one of about two dozen golfers attending the meeting, urged council to pursue an agreement with the county.

“I just pray and hope that nobody comes in here and tries to rape our golf course and our city administration,” said Pierce, who served on a city committee that two years ago studied ways to make the course viable.

The city spent $100,000 cutting trees, buying new golf carts and improving the golf paths, but the course still has failed to break even.

The city has taken two bids on leasing the course, including one from a company that manages a municipal course in Savannah. The other is from a Laurens County group that says it can step in by July 1, when the next fiscal year begins.

“The first thing we would do is save the city $80,000,” said area businessman Roger Lord, who spoke for the group. “I promise you the city of Dublin would be proud.”

Lord said partners would include a golf pro who could give lessons, the superintendent of nearby Green Acres Golf Course in Dexter and the former superintendent at Riverview.

“We’ve got the experience and knowledge to keep the course up and do it right,” said Jeff Brown, who was superintendent at the city course for 26 years.

Councilman Ed Touchberry called the course “an amenity and a selling point” with prospective industries. The “ultimate goal” of the council has been to put the course under the recreation authority’s control, he said.

“The last thing we want to do is lease this thing out,” Touchberry said.

The council is not without some golf expertise. Councilman Bill Brown won the Georgia Amateur Championship in 2006.

“As an avid golfer, the truth is I have the best interest of Riverview Golf Course at heart,” he said at Thursday’s meeting.

To contact writer Rodney Manley, call 744-4623.