Mccall Lake closure leaves golfers in rough
As the city tees up plans to sell a northeast golf course to make way for a new recreation complex and pay for the upkeep of other municipally owned greens, McCall Lake golfers say they’ve been left swinging in the wind.
The city says it stands to gain upwards of $30 million from the sale of land at McCall Lake Golf Course — funds that would be better spent on a multi-use recreation campus.
Officials are saying interest in the sport is waning and the airport-area golf course is losing more than $200,000 a year, imposing “significant operating and capital costs.”
Golfers say the sudden news is hitting them hard.
“I’m in shock. It’s out of the blue,” said Clayton Albrecht, president of the 90-member McCall Lake men’s league. Tuesday’s announcement took players by surprise, he said. “It’s one of the best-booking clubs in the city. We’re surprised and disappointed.”
Golfers will have use of the northeast course until the end of the 2014 golf season.
Concept plans for potential development of an industrial area and recreational campus with sports fields were approved by city council last November.
With necessary upgrades and revenue lost from a short season due to poor weather, the course needed $8 million, the city says. Consultation with stakeholders revealed the course wasn’t meeting the needs of the community, said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
“Fewer people are golfing on public courses. When we have such desperate need for so many different recreation facilities, should we actually better match what we have to the demand? This particular golf course was feeling that,” he said.
There is growing concern that a variety of public sporting options are needed to better suit the city’s growing ethnic diversity.
“I’ve seen some very, very initial drawings about using space for participatory team sports, which there is a real lack of in the northeast.”
The lion’s share of the land sale windfall will stay in the northeast community, Nenshi said.
“The first step is to develop the new recreation centre. And the net results after that will be earmarked for other golf courses.”
The city operates other golf courses that are subsidized with passes and punch cards. However, the city is also reviewing its greenfee structure.
Industry experts have advised the city not to increase its green fees, but say it should review its discounts — Calgary leads the country in passes and punch cards.
This summer, stakeholders will be consulted on potential changes and recommendations presented to council for their approval by year’s end.
“Golf course operations across Canada and North America are experiencing challenges,” said the city’s golf course manager, Terry Boldt.
“People are just too busy to golf as in the past, and we’re also seeing an increase in ethnic diversity in our communities, and golf is not necessarily the game of choice anymore.”
McCall, in an industrial area, is just south of the airport runway and is prone to flooding and windy conditions. Access to and from 32nd Avenue is challenging, Boldt said.
While selling the golf course is “bittersweet,” for Ward 5 Ald. Ray Jones, the millions it reaps will benefit courses such as Confederation Park, Lakeview, Maple Ridge, Richmond Green and Shaganappi, which are largely aimed at beginners and intermediate players.
“We can’t continue to lose money on the course, because it just doesn’t pay. We’re not out to compete with private and semi-private courses,” Jones said. The city charges between $25 and $45, compared with clubs that charge more than triple those fees.
McCall was identified as the course to cut loose.
“It came as a surprise to me in October. I’ve had a hard time wrapping my head around it. It was easier to divest and make sure others stay strong,” he said.
But golf’s loss is recreation’s gain, he says.
Groups such as Calgary Jaycee, Calgary Industrial Fast Ball, the Gun and Rifle Club, and Calgary Irish Rugby Club all stand to gain from the expanded space.
“They’re excited because obviously it adds a lot more space for their facilities,” Jones said.
The Calgary Sports Council also stands to benefit, he said, with the possibility of extra cricket pitches, lacrosse or field hockey on the space.
The entire McCall Lake site is approximately 106 hectares, located off 32nd Street, east of Deerfoot Trail.
While Calgary offers more than two dozen golf courses, golfers say the people hardest hit by the McCall closure will be beginners. McCall has a par 3 “pitch and put” popular with beginners and families, and a busy driving range.”
“The golf community has lost Shawnee Slopes and Highland in the last couple of years. The city courses are already hard to get bookings on, so the closure of McCall will be felt,” said golfer Gail Baxter. “Many of the new courses are expensive and intimidating for beginners.