London Golf Operations Review

[Djeffery]

Got this in email today. Looks like River Road Golf Course is facing the chopping block again.

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Potential Changes to London’s Municipal Golf System

Since early in 2019, London’s Municipal Golf System, along with other services provided by the municipality, have been under a City Council directed service review. Such service reviews are intended to identify those opportunities where potential savings and/or future cost avoidance is a possibility for the municipality and the citizens it serves.

The findings of KPMG’s review and recommended options for City Council’s consideration have now been released and can be viewed here. It is important to note that such recommendations reflect the opinion of KPMG as a third party.

In summary, options that KPMG identified include the following:

Option 1 - Discontinue operations at River Road Golf Course

Option 2 - Discontinue operations at River Road and the Quarry Course portion of Fanshawe Golf Course

Option 3 - Discontinue operations at River Road and the Hickory Course portion of Thames Valley Golf Course

Option 4 - Discontinue operations at River Road, Quarry (Fanshawe) and Hickory (Thames Valley)

Members of City staff have reviewed the report and are seeking Council direction to explore and report back on the impacts of Option 1, and to take no actions on Options 2, 3, and 4. A Public Participation Meeting (PPM) is also being recommended by City staff prior to any decision being made.

KPMG’s findings and recommendation, along with staff response will be presented to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) on Tuesday February 4, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall (300 Dufferin Ave). If you’re interested in attending the meeting, please enter City Council viewing gallery from the 3rd floor.

Should you wish to share your thoughts and opinions on this topic, please be in contact with members of city staff in Parks and Recreation through the following email [email protected]

Thank you for your interest in this matter.

The City of London Golf Team

[manny_santos]

It would be a shame to lose the Hickory at Thames Valley. It makes golf accessible to beginners in the city, and unlike the other courses, you can actually get to it on public transit (5 Springbank from Byron or downtown to the Civic Gardens Complex, then across the footbridge over the river).

If there's one course that should not be touched, it's Thames Valley.

[haljackey]

Just keep the free Parkside 9 open!

Doesn't take all day, and you don't break a sweat doing it either on hot days

[Djeffery]

As part of budgetary constraints the city is facing this year due to COVID, the Strategic Priorities committee has recommended to council that River Rd Golf Course remain closed for the season. The city never did open it when they were given permission to resume golf operations a few weeks ago, and now it looks like council will vote to keep it closed. I can easily see the city deciding now to make that permanent.

I never understood why, every time the city talks about closing that course, that selling it is never in the discussion. I mean, golf isn't what it was 20 years ago, but I imagine someone would take that course off the city's hands, and I can't imagine there is really a lot of development potential on the piece of that land that isn't flood plain, so I don't know what the city would do with it if they did close the course.

[MolsonExport]

why on earth does the city need to own a fucking golf course?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

why on earth does the city need to own a fucking golf course?

I get why back in the dawn of time that cities did that, as part of having recreational facilities for the general public to affordably use. But the need for the city to provide golf to the general public has long since passed as the marketplace has filled that need. These aren't arenas and soccer fields that are harder for the private sector to sustainably operate. And especially to own 3 different courses too. It's not like the city would close them and all of a sudden, all the other privately owned public courses would be in a position to jack their prices.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

why on earth does the city need to own a fucking golf course?

I’ll say this, growing up in London and being heavily exposed to golf in my youth. City ownership of golf courses does make it more accessible to the general public who can’t afford to golf at, say, the Hunt Club or The Oaks. If golf was left entirely to the private sector, it would be a sport reserved for the wealthy.

[jammer139]

Municipalities own and operate golf courses for the same reasons they own and operate arenas, stadiums, community centres, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, ball diamonds, swimming pools, walking/biking paths, parks, playground equipment. Many are profitable and help pay the costs of other recreational facilities that don't generate a profit.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by jammer139

Municipalities own and operate golf courses for the same reasons they own and operate arenas, stadiums, community centres, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, ball diamonds, swimming pools, walking/biking paths, parks, playground equipment. Many are profitable and help pay the costs of other recreational facilities that don't generate a profit.

I think the point that ME might be making, which I agree with if so, is that the city shouldn't be in the business of running recreational facilities if they are profitable. The city should be taking on the types of services that the private sector can't provide, not ones the private sector can provide. A business isn't going to run soccer fields tennis courts etc, and there are very few examples around of privately run arenas. How many privately owned public swimming pools are there?

But there are tons of golf courses out there that anybody can go pay 35 or 40 bucks and play. I disagree with Manny about that, the city isn't keeping golf affordable or accessible today like they did 50 or more years ago. And the city isn't making money off golf like they used to either. If making money was important, why not get into running grocery stores, or restaurants, or delivering Amazon in city pick up trucks, or doing any number of things the private sector already does profitably?

[MolsonExport]

I think public golf should be subsidized as much as public downhill skiing. Which is to say, not at all (and I absolutely love skiing).

[jammer139]

London City Municipal golf courses report.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=110784

CTV report

https://london.ctvnews.ca/video/c2986300-municipal-golf-courses-look-to-bounce-back