Golf course debt rises, options costly

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OGDEN -- Mayor Matthew Godfrey unveiled four possible strategies Wednesday to stem growing debt at Mount Ogden Golf Course that he says now totals about $2 million.

Godfrey plans to present the options to the city council during a Tuesday night work session.

He will also hold a town meeting on the golf course options Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the city council chambers on the third floor of the Municipal Building.

One of the proposed options calls for a voter-approved tax increase to subsidize Mount Ogden Golf Course and allow operations to remain unchanged, Godfrey told the Standard-Examiner.

Another possible strategy would involve issuing about $6 million in voter-approved bonds to redesign the golf course to make it more playable, Godfrey said. The course's clubhouse could also be renovated and relocated, possibly to the top of 36th Street, he said.

An additional option calls for the closure of Mount Ogden Golf Course and allowing it to "go to seed" so it could be used as a nature park with hiking and bike trails, Godfrey said.

A fourth strategy calls for placing Mount Ogden Golf Course in a special improvement district so that property owners nearest the facility could be taxed to fund operations.

City Council Chairwoman Amy Wicks said Wednesday she had not received information from Godfrey about his options for the golf course and was not in a position to comment.

Godfrey said he hasn't determined which option is best and is seeking input from the city council and public.

"We are not advocating any of these options, but these are the ones we have identified to date and think are viable," he said. "We are doing everything to make it (the golf course) work. But there has to be some pretty drastic things done quickly."

In the meantime, greens fees at Mount Ogden Golf Course are scheduled to increase later this year to keep it competitive with other area courses, he said.

Mount Ogden Golf Course isn't profitable because the difficult design fails to attract enough golfers, Godfrey said. He estimated the course's annual revenue losses to be about $250,000 over the last five years. Including original construction costs, Godfrey said, the facility is about $2 million in debt.

Godfrey said he has no plans to sell the golf course despite its financial problems.

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