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As Louisville Metro Government works to address budget constraints caused by the increasing state pension obligation and lack of new revenue, Louisville Parks and Recreation today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for management, operation, and maintenance of its 10 golf courses.
The city is accepting proposals until October 15, when the process will be closed, and the proposals will be evaluated. Interested parties can learn more about the solicitation including deadline dates and requirements at the city’s procurement web page, https://louisvilleky.gov/purchasing. The accepted proposals may include lease, hybrid or concession options.
Louisville Parks and Recreation golf courses are Metro-owned and currently managed independently by PGA professionals whose contracts expire at the end of 2019 – except for Quail Chase where the contract expires December 31, 2024. The state alcoholic beverage licenses for the PGA professionals expire at the end of October.
Deed restrictions on the golf course properties ensure that nine of the 10 Metro-owned golf courses must remain public spaces and used for recreational purposes, meaning that they will not be turned over for commercial or real-estate development. Bobby Nichols Golf Course in southwest Louisville is the only course with no such restriction.
The city issued a request for information (RFI) this spring to gauge interest and gather ideas for use of Metro’s golf course properties. The responses to the RFI helped in the development of the RFP being released today.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION GOLF:
Louisville’s 10 public golf courses offer a quality golfing experience at some of the most affordable prices in the nation. Each course has its own unique character, and some consistently rank among Kentucky’s best and most challenging courses. The 10 municipally-owned golf courses meet the needs of everyone from beginners to scratch golfers. For more information, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/golf-courses. Continue reading
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
In an effort to keep Metro Louisville’s public golf courses sustainable financially, Councilwoman Cindi Fowler (D-14) is sponsoring an ordinance calling for a modest increase in greens fees this year.
“I want everyone in the Louisville area to be able to enjoy our public courses. These courses are the hub of our communities, providing senior and junior programming close to their homes as well as golf scrambles supporting many of our nonprofits,” says Fowler.
The Councilwoman is proposing a modest $2 green fee increase at high utilized courses and $1 at all other courses. Additional changes include military discounts and senior age limits reduced to 60 years from 62 years old.
“The last time we had an increase to help sustain golf was in 2007 with a 50 cent increase every other year. However, we have just not kept up with the demands of maintenance and other repairs,” says Fowler. “In order to keep public golf courses open in underutilized areas we must ask the help of the more widely used courses.”
Under the proposed ordinance, here are the proposed fee increases:
Seneca and Charlie Vettiner will go from $14.50 to $15.50 on weekdays and $17 to $19 on weekends in the summer. In winter, $12 to $12.50 on weekdays, $13.25 to $14 on weekends.
At Sun Valley, Shawnee, Long Run and Iroquois in summer, the fee would go from $13.25 to $14 on weekdays and $15.75 to $17 on weekends. In the winter, $10.75 to $11 on weekdays, $12 to $12.50 on weekends.
At Bobby Nichols and Cherokee in summer the fee would go from $12 to $13 on weekdays and $13.25 to $14 on weekends. In winter, $9.75 to $10 on weekdays, $9.75 to $10 on weekends.
Finally, Crescent Hill’s Hill nine hole course in the summer would go from $13.25 to $14 on weekdays and $15.75 to $16. In the winter the fee would go from $10.75 to $11 on weekdays and $12 to $12.50.
“It is my belief that public courses provide a service to our communities and to make them sustainable we must provide that service as whole entity. This will bring the needed revenue to bring public golf as a whole into the black.”
The proposed ordinance has been assigned to the Metro Council’s Parks and Sustainability Committee which is chaired by Councilwoman Fowler. The Committee will hold its next meeting on Thursday, February 8th.
