The Brigantine golf course is back in the news. According to The Press of Atlantic City, The Links at Brigantine is moving forward with a study by Stephen Kay, a prominent golf course architect. Kay could help decide the future of our struggling golf course as the current third-party operator; (Meadowbrook) faces a lawsuit alleging age and gender discrimination.
In August, Council OK’d a $15,000 contract with Kay to figure out what repairs were needed and how much they would cost. Click thru to watch video about this issue.
The Links at Brigantine golf course lost $43,000 last year.
The Press of Atlantic City also reported that the golf course issue re-emerged this summer as two factions, split along political lines, debated how to balance the budget. Debate centered primarily on how many repairs are needed and who would pay for them — either a bond the city would be responsible for or a third-party contractor entering a long-term lease.
Borrowing money via a municipal bond ordinance is one way to go. Mr. Kay said that may not work if the golf course remains on it’s current unprofitable course. Another option: lease it out to a 3rd party who would provide the cash for improvements in exchange for a long-term lease agreement.
Watch video below from City Council Meetings, discussing golf course. Also below: Pics of golf course, from AUG 2013.
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Well, no surprise here. If city government can’t run the town how can they run a golf course? Really, $15,000 for someone to tell you what is wrong and how to fix it? No wonder they’re losing money.
Maybe one day all Democrats and Republicans will sit down together and work out problems here on the island and in our government in Washington. Until that happens, nothing will ever get done without problems.
Talk about the fox in the hen house. Why would you hire the original architect that screwed up the design the first time around. Any Golf Course superintendent worth his salt(no pun intended) should be able to give a reasonable estimate as to what is needed to get the property playable and attractive to the casual or hard core golfer in the area. Who do they have running that joint and why haven’t they terminated them.
Ed & James,
Please let me make some corrections and comment on your statements. James, you hit the nail on the head. If the people running the city can’t run a city, why would you trust them to oversee the running of a golf course? That is why I was one of the first people to suggest to the city over 2 years ago that they lease the course out long term to a qualified golf course operator that would be willing to invest money in the course before it becomes a giant albatross around the taxpayers neck, which if you watch one of the next couple of city council meetings, you’ll hear the results of the audit and you’ll see what I mean.
James, you have some bad information. Steven Kay, the architect hired by the city has never done any work on the Brigantine golf course. And you’re right and wrong about the hiring of the architect. It is true that any golf course superintendent could give you a ‘reasonable estimate’ as to what is needed, but you need the architect to give you the specifics, the drawings, apply for permits, etc. that would be required and what is needed is something a little more than just the ‘do this and it might cost this’ that a superintendent would give you. Its just not what they specialize in. As far as who is running the place and why haven’t they been terminated, they will be terminated and be replaced by a golf operator who is willing to make an investment in exchange for a long term lease.
Be wary of any of the local politicians that try and tell and you that the city could run the golf course and make money or that it has made money in the past. After 10 years of ownership, the city was effectively in the hole for 1/2 the 4 million plus dollars they paid for the golf course. It needs to be put in the hands of people who know what they are doing and are willing to assume the risk.