Name: Local View: Golf co-op worth a try to keep Lester open
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Local View: Golf co-op worth a try to keep Lester open

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ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT|The city of Duluth has decided to close Lester Park Golf Course. Disturbingly, this seems to follow a pattern for an administration with an apparent penchant for putting costs above community.City administrators are now asking community clubs to pay for utilities when using public buildings. Just a few years ago, they imposed rental fees on the community clubs for community use. The city seems to have lost the original intent of keeping communities together — and that includes the golf community, which, over the years, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars holding events for local charities. And that’s not mentioning the youth and senior programs supported at Lester.There are four things about closing Lester Duluthians should know if they don’t already.The first is that, in 2020, while Duluth closed Lester to save money and lost $100,000 anyway, the Nemadji Golf Course posted a net profit of $226,000, as the city of Superior reported to its golf course committee’s members in November.Additionally, in January, the Friends of Duluth Public Golf group conducted a survey of 400 golfers and received 200 responses. It found that greater than 70% play golf three to five times a week, that over 71% would likely buy season passes if the Lester golf course was open in 2021, and that 67% would play outside of Duluth if Lester is closed in 2021. If these findings are representative — and I am told 200 responses from a mailing of 400 is phenomenal — how is it smart for the city to give up so much revenue when it is already in a loss situation?ADVERTISEMENTDespite the best of intentions, the Public Golf Committee — on which I am a member and which reports to and makes recommendations to the Duluth Parks and Recreation Commission — is mere window dressing. It doesn’t seem to me to be a serious source of public input for the city decision-makers. There are eight members, three of whom also serve on the parks commission. At our first meeting in September 2020, we were told those three were the only ones who could offer motions or vote on anything being proposed or recommended by the committee.Not once in five meetings held from September to February was there any discussion of keeping Lester open. Requests for items to be put on the agenda were routinely ignored. In fact, at the fourth meeting in December, we were summarily told by city staff that Lester would be closed. No discussion. At the fifth meeting in February, a voting member made a motion that our Public Golf Committee “recommends keeping Lester open.” Neither of the other two voting members who could second the motion would do so, and, again, there was no discussion of keeping Lester open.As a final insult to the committee, on the same night as the fifth meeting, the News Tribune reported that Lester was being closed. It was too costly to keep open, the story said.City budget revenues in 20201 are expected to total $331.7 million and approved expenditures $320.5 million. A golf subsidy of $100,000 would account for only .03% of the expected revenues. The city can find the money. City officials just don’t seem willing to devote the time, commitment, or necessary expertise to manage a profitable two-course golf program.A March 16 letter to the editor in the News Tribune recommended a nonprofit public-golf co-op be created to run both the Lester Park and Enger Park golf courses. The management fees this would save would almost, if not completely, eliminate golf’s annual deficit. Removing city staff from any responsibility would streamline operations.There are many intelligent, competent, and dedicated people in Duluth to turn municipal golf operations into a highly successful, sustainable activity — without disposing of half of our public-golf assets and without destroying another aspect of our Duluth community.Let’s give a co-op a try. Nothing else has worked.Tom Griggs is a member of the Public Golf Committee, which was created last year to report to and to make recommendations about public golf in Duluth to the Duluth Parks and Recreation Commission.Nancy Nilsen of Duluth is the incumbent St. Louis County auditor. She wrote this column for the News Tribune at the request of the Opinion page. Her challenger in the Nov. 8 election is Victore I. IronCroft of Duluth, who didn’t respond to a request to write a “Candidate’s View” column.From the column: "Unfortunately, the state Senate came to a screeching halt this last session due to political gridlock. I’m tired of this extreme, partisan nonsense that is distracting us from the real issues facing our communities."From the column: " The only way we can overcome the challenges ahead is by working together. I know how to put differences aside and put constituents first."ABOUT THIS RACE: Republican Natalie Zeleznikar is challenging 23-term DFL Rep. Mary Murphy, who was first elected to the Legislature in 1976. Minnesota House District 3B extends north from western Duluth. Both the challenger and the incumbent were invited to write these columns by the News Tribune Opinion page. Election Day is Nov. 8. Early voting begins next Friday, Sept. 23.ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT|The city of Duluth has decided to close Lester Park Golf Course. Disturbingly, this seems to follow a pattern for an administration with an apparent penchant for putting costs above community.City administrators are now asking community clubs to pay for utilities when using public buildings. Just a few years ago, they imposed rental fees on the community clubs for community use. The city seems to have lost the original intent of keeping communities together — and that includes the golf community, which, over the years, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars...

Local View: Golf co-op worth a try to keep Lester open

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