Ask the Director – Elena Brokaw
May 3, 2005
The City of Ventura offers
two championship, 18-hole, par 72 golf courses that were created on the
coastal plains near the Santa Clara River by renowned architect William
F. Bell.
There’s quite a buzz in the golfing community about the reopening
of the Buenaventura Golf Course. What can you tell me about the course
renovations?
The renovation of Buenaventura Golf Course is nearly complete after 10 months of intensive work. The end result is a golf course that is sure to become one of the best public courses in the Southland. The tree lined fairways, small greens and challenging strategies that made 'old Buena' so enjoyable are still present. However, every aspect of the course has been upgraded, resulting in what can be described as a "Public Country Club" type of feel.
When can the public expect to begin playing the Course?
The weather has thrown us for a few loops, but we expect to open the course to play in late March of this year. The course is 95 percent complete, but due to the extremely wet winter, we need some more time to grow the grass and repair storm damages prior to opening.
For more information about Buenaventura Golf Course please call 642-2231.
What can you tell me about the Olivas Park Golf Course renovation?
Currently we are planning to keep the Olivas course open for play until June of this year. In mid-summer, we intend to close the course for renovations. The course will undergo a major transformation, including the clubhouse and driving range moving to the east side of the property. The course itself will be rerouted to better use the land and provide a superior golf experience. We expect to be open by mid-summer 2006.
For more information about the Olivas Park Golf Course please call 642-4303.
In the time of budget cuts how can you do all of this work?
The golf course renovations and daily operations are fully supported by golf course revenues. There is no General Fund support of the golf courses. Golf Course revenues are generated solely by golfers and those who frequent the golf course concessions.
As such, the Golf Fund is restricted to golf related projects or expenditures and cannot be used for street improvements or other Public Works projects. The Golf Fund is entirely self-supporting and does not receive any General Fund assistance.
Will green fees be raised to cover the cost of renovation?
Green fees are established by the City and are reviewed on an annual basis based on comparable fees at other golf courses in the region and are not driven by renovation costs. Based on the competitive market, it is anticipated that resident green fees will increase an average of $1 per year over the next 4 years. The City golf courses will remain competitive in their pricing and will continue to offer discounts to Ventura residents.
For more information contact Greg Gilmer at 658-4727
or ggilmer@ci.ventura.ca.us