Montgomery County’s Revenue Authority will use much of 2007 to change the fates of four public golf courses that have lost the county millions of dollars each year for almost a decade, officials said.
The Planning Board supervised the failing courses — Needwood, Little Bennett, Sligo Creek and Northwest Park — until ownership changed to the independent authority on Nov. 1. With that shift, Authority President Keith Miller said the possibilities are essentially limitless for changes in store.
A specially formed team, complete with architects and irrigation and budgetary specialists, will unroll a master plan for all nine of the county’s public golf courses by March. Then, next fall, the Revenue Authority will take action on the plan.
“It will really encompass everything,” he said, rattling off course designs and clubhouse setups as examples. “We’ll be looking at our pricing structure, how the courses work together. … It’s all being considered.”
Also of interest to golf change agents are statements made by County Council President Marilyn Praisner at the end of October as she voted to allow the Revenue Authority to gain control of the four courses. She stressed the need to increase accessibility to the sport for all residents regardless of income either by the addition of par 3 courses or other modifications.
“That matches exactly what we believe in, so those ideas are being factored in too,” Miller said.
Between now and March, Miller and others with the authority are evaluating the equipment in place and altering the soil on the courses to improve the health of the turf.
The quality of the greens is just one of the main problems Planning Board members said led to massive financial losses over the years.
Now, Miller said, he’d like for the four poor-performing courses to be in the green, not the red.
“We are a not-for-profit agency, but we want to make some money off of these courses to put funds back into the facilities,” he said. “With a golf course, maintenance never ends.”
