OGDEN — The city council gave its executive staff the green light Tuesday night to begin formulating possible goals to resolve design and financial difficulties at Mt. Ogden Golf Course.
Council members discussed during a work session a number of elements that may be included in various goal statements.
The elements were derived from a meeting the council had earlier this month with Kris Abegglen, a golf pro with Richfield-based Jones & DeMille Engineering Inc., and Jon Garner, a senior design associate with Nicklaus Design, headquartered in North Palm Beach, Fla.
Abegglen and Garner presented the city council with proposals ranging from $3.5 million to $8 million to make Mt. Ogden Golf Course more playable and ultimately profitable.
The city’s administration has said the course is losing about $250,000 a year because it is poorly designed and too difficult for most golfers.
In addition to overhauling Mt. Ogden Golf Course, the proposal from Jones & DeMille Engineering calls for the replacement of all cart paths, the installation of a new irrigation system and the remodeling of the clubhouse to leave golfers with a positive lasting impression.
The improvements would cost $3.5 million to $4.3 million.
Garner has presented the council with four options for redesigning the course, costing an estimated $4.5 million to $8 million.
The four options include the installation of a new irrigation system, rebuilt greens, new cart paths, the widening of fairways and improvements to tee boxes.
Based on the presentations from Abegglen and Garner, the city council’s staff has compiled a list of elements that may be used in developing goals for renovations at the course.
Some of those elements include:
• Determining whether the golf course should break even.
• Developing a quality, affordable municipal golf course.
• Preserving open space on and around the course.
• Changing the course so that it is making more money and is more playable.
• Exploring options for paying for renovations.
• Expanding the use of Mt. Ogden Golf Course to promote year-round use.
• Alan Franke, a policy analyst for the city council, acknowledged that some of the elements may be in conflict. He said goal options will be developed for the council’s consideration at a later date.
• City Council Chairwoman Caitlin K. Gochnour said she would like to see Mt. Ogden Golf Course at least break even financially and described financial subsidy from the municipality for the course as a worthy investment.
Related link: This article is a topic of discussion at Weber County Forum.
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