From May 2020 to April 2021, San Jose Municipal Golf Course saw a 44% increase in players compared to the same time period in 2018-19. Cicirelli credits the COVID-19 pandemic for the increased interest.Īll three public golf courses saw an increase in activity.
This compares to 130,000 rounds of golf and a net operating loss of $700,000 in 2019, according to city documents. Last year, city courses reached record levels of play with nearly 213,000 rounds of golf-bringing in approximately $1.5 million for city coffers.
Will Topgolf revitalize San Jose’s ‘forgotten stepchild’ of Alviso? The city has paid off the golf courses’ $2 million debt with the $28.7 million sale of the Hayes Mansion in 2019, coupled with the sport’s increased popularity, Cicirelli noted. “In District 7 it is a really important open space… It is so much more than golf for our community.” Edgar Mejia plays at Los Lagos Golf Course in San Jose. “I am an unlikely golf advocate,” Esparza said. “As we pursue long-term leases, it will be critically important that these community assets provide community benefits, such as First Tee Silicon Valley and other programs with long histories of serving our youth.”Ĭouncilmembers Maya Esparza, David Cohen and Magdalena Carrasco also supported the idea, but encouraged potential operators to maximize the use of recycled water and employ environmentally sustainable maintenance procedures that consider sensitive habitats and riparian corridors. “(Public golf courses) provide opportunities for residents throughout our city to access open space and recreation activities,” Peralez told San José Spotlight. resides, said he was on par with the idea. “To operate them in a way that they are true community assets and provide financial stability so it is no longer a strain on the city’s general fund.”Ĭouncilmember Raul Peralez, who represents the area where the 145-acre San Jose Municipal golf course at 1560 Old Oakland Rd. “If done right and the city partners with proper management, there is opportunity to provide for needed investment to the golf courses,” Luthman said during the council meeting. He told San José Spotlight he plans to apply to run the city’s golf courses. Mark Luthman, president of Touchstone Golf that manages 11 golf courses in Northern California, echoed the sentiment. It would also protect the city financially from future downturns in the golf industry. Jon Cicirelli, the city’s parks director, said creating a long-term lease agreement would incentivize an operator to make capital enhancements to the public facilities, market the golf courses and provide residents with access to affordable recreational activities. The city hopes to open bids in the spring and award a contract by the fall. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to find a third party to operate the three city-owned golf courses in an effort to maintain stable income and operations. San Jose is looking to make more green off its golf courses.
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