The two challenges to operating the town's Pusch Ridge Golf Course
The continuing operation of the the Town of Oro Valley’s 9-hole Pusch Ridge course presents two challenges. One is economic. The other is its use of drinking water for irrigation. We discussed both of these with Tony D’Angelo of the group “Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf”, the group that saved this course from closure.
Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf is a five hundred member organization that was created last year “…with the common goal of protecting, sustaining and optimizing its value to the town of Oro Valley.” Generally, members are residents who live adjacent to or near the course. They became active after the town stopped watering the 9-hole golf course. The course turned brown. It was becoming overgrown. It was destined for eventual closure after the course’s previous owner, HSL Properties, declined to lease it back. (You can read previous LOVE reports on that here.)
The course has such a history of poor financial results that the prior owner doesn't even want it back on a "cheap lease basis"
The course has been so severely underused over the years that the town, at one time, turned it into a frisbee course. They also tried bigger holes. Nothing worked. The course was economically unworkable regardless of scenario. It was only after the current town council was considering closing the course that those directly impacted rose up to fight for it.
According the D’Angelo, “Once open, Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf will continue to support fun golf leagues to establish a strong base of play. We have created three leagues – a men’s league, women’s league and a couple’s league. We will also host special events throughout the year with local businesses. All of these efforts are targeted to the new and casual golfer - we want the course to be accessible to all. The town has budgeted 6,600 rounds of play, we hope to help drive more than that assuming the renewed interest remains high.”
When we are successful, we believe the subsidy required by the town in support of operations to be well below expectations. When we factor in incremental tax revenues from surrounding businesses we believe Pusch Ridge Golf will be one of the town’s best performing assets.”
"Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf" hope to turn the course around
The result has been a resurgence in their interest in the course. According to Tony D’Angelo, the group has focused this year on helping the town market the course and substantially increasing awareness and play. October 30 they are hosting a pre-opening event with two golf scrambles and a luncheon celebration. “These events sold out within 27 hours. That’s 104 golfers and over 150 total supporters attending. We are receiving strong support from local businesses providing prizes and prize money. Once the course opens to the public we will continue to promote these businesses to golfers using the course.”
This will be a continuing challenge
The challenge for the group and the town will be to continue to generate interest and use of the course for the long run so that the course sustains itself economically and generates added tourism dollars to the community.
Even if economically successful, one huge challenge remains
If D’Angelo is right, the course will remain open, leaving the second major challenge, one that has yet to be addressed: Use of drinking water for irrigation. More on that tomorrow.
