FATE OF GOLF COURSE CAN SWING EITHER WAY
Despite declining usage, San Jose residents want to keep Los Lagos Golf Course; the city is looking for ways to turn the space financially profitable and make some green
“This is land that should remain public open space. The focus is really trying to get us past this financing issue.” — Mayor Sam Liccardo
Despite years of declining usage and rising costs, a recent survey suggests San Jose residents want the city to maintain the Los Lagos Golf Course south of downtown.
Opened in 2002, a recent survey of more than 3,700 people presented to the City Council on Tuesday found that keeping the 18-hole municipal course open was the most popular option. Residents appear less interested in alternatives, including turning the land into a park that might or might not include a golf course or converting the land into protected space with no public access.
“We believe that the continued operation of Los Lagos Golf Course is in the best interest of the city,” wrote Jean Dresden, a member of an organization called San Jose Parks Advocates, in a memo to council members.
Yet initial predictions that the course would pay for itself haven’t panned out and the city is struggling to figure out how to draw people to the area and bring in a profit.
In 2016-17, the city forked over $621,756 to subsidize the course, up from $386,893 in 201415. And the number of rounds of golf played on the course during that time fell to 47,049 from
50,078. And the golf course carries a debt service until 2031, which costs the city $1.5-$1.7 million annually.
The course, located near Capitol Expressway and adjacent to Coyote Creek, has been the subject of much debate in recent years that mirrors conversations happening across the country. While the average rounds of golf played at Los Lagos have declined more than 28 percent since the course opened, nationally, some five million people have dropped out of golfing since 2005.
In response, golf courses locally and across the country have shrunk or closed entirely. Green Tree Golf Course in Vacaville and Roddy Ranch Golf Club in Antioch both closed in 2016. Vallejo is considering closing Blue Rock Springs Golf course and rezoning the space for housing development.
The city’s agreement with the company that manages the course, Courseco, ends in June, and the city is aiming to reach a final decision on what to do with the space later in the year.
“It should remain a park at some level,” said Deb Kramer, executive director of the group Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful.
But because it was financed using tax-exempt bonds and the city charter requires that it be used for recreation unless voters decide otherwise, the shortterm options are limited.
“This has been a very difficult issue to resolve,” acknowledged Angel Rios, director of Parks and Recreation for the city, at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
There are other challenges. A sizable homeless population lives in the area. Much of the course is located in a flood zone and a three-acre spot near the parking lot contains contaminated soil, which could
make building on the area in the future challenging. Los Lagos is also in a riparian corridor, which would restrict where developers could build for environmental reasons. The city’s living wage policies also make it difficult to attract companies to manage the space.
“This is land that should remain public open space,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo at the council meeting. “The focus is really trying to get us past this financing issue.”
On Tuesday, after an intense and sometimes contentious debate council members agreed with his
suggestion that city officials come back to the City Council within a year and a half to discuss other options for Los Lagos after exploring ways to pay off the debt, which could include selling city property. Ultimately, that means golfers aren’t in imminent danger of losing the course.
Councilman Tam Nguyen said during the meeting city officials need to do a better job of marketing the course and letting residents know it’s there for them. He prompted a wave of laughter when he told fellow Councilman Lan Diep — who was sworn into office
holding a Captain America shield — that he wanted to promote friendly golf matches between dueling superhero teams.
Regardless of which direction the city ultimately goes, said Rios, “We’ve heard loud and clear from our golf community that
this is an asset they’d like to maintain.”