Review of city’s golf program continues – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — Options for keeping, or potentially modifying, four city golf courses are part of a suggested review following a recent report on operations.

The Rochester City Council will be asked to approve a planned evaluation during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, which will be held online.

The recent assessment by the National Golf Foundation pointed to a less-than-ideal number of golfers using the city’s courses. The organization said 4,000 golfers per 18 holes is ideal, and Rochester courses have 1,242 golfers per 18 holes.

While reducing the number of courses was cited as an option, the report also cited potential ways more golfers could be attracted to city courses.

Options expected to be considered in ongoing evaluation include:

• Maintaining existing courses and developing a strategy to fund a recommended $722,500 per year for improvement projects and operating support.
• Optimizing the city’s golf system by changing course operations, identifying future high-level uses for select courses, and assessing the long-term financial impact associated with the courses.
• Maintaining the existing courses with the current funding levels and identifying service reductions needed over time.

The city expects to spend the majority of this year studying the issue and engaging with community members to gauge the interest in its future investment in golf or modifications to the program.

If the continued study is approved by the council, the city will maintain existing golf operations for 2022, but Parks and Recreation staff are pointing to potential changes due to limited funding.

The city’s Park Board recently approved moving golf pro William (Watty) Watson from Hadley Creek Golf Course to Soldiers Field Golf Course, due to the retirement of golf pro David Richardson.

Hadley Creek will be staffed by seasonal employees with program supervision experience until final decisions are made regarding the citywide program.

A report to the council also points to concerns about the Eastwood Golf Course clubhouse, which might need to be closed due to deterioration.

City staff had proposed earmarking $1.2 million from the city’s parks levy for a new clubhouse, but the funds were later committed to other park improvements.

In addition to the potential closing of the Eastwood clubhouse, the report says fee changes and adjustments to playable areas could be modified to avoid budget deficits this year.

A review process outlined last month stated that any major recommendations for the citywide golf program will be reviewed by the Park Board by the end of this year, with a final council decision expected by Jan. 15, 2023.

Meetings scheduled to be held during the week of Jan. 31 include:

Rochester 

• City Council special meeting, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The online meeting will livestream at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

and be available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188 and Metronet channel 80.

• City Council, 7 p.m. Monday. The online meeting will livestream at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

and be available on Spectrum cable channel 180 or 188 and Metronet channel 80. The council will meet as the city’s economic development authority during the meeting.

• Airport Commission, 2 p.m. Tuesday. Access information is available at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

• Energy Commission, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Access information is available at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

• Planning & Zoning Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Access information is available at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Access information is available at

www.rochestermn.gov/agendas

Olmsted County

• Human Services Advisory Board, 7 a.m. Monday. Site or access information is available at

https://olmstedcounty.primegov.com/public/portal

• Tri-government meeting with Rochester City Council and Rochester School Board, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Access information is available at

https://olmstedcounty.primegov.com/public/portal

• Human Rights Commission, 6 p.m. Thursday in conference room 2 of the city-county Government Center.

• Olmsted County Zoning Board of Adjustment, 7 p.m. Thursday in the board chambers of the city-county Government Center.

Rochester Public Schools

• School Board, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the boardroom of the Edison Building, 615 Seventh St. SW.