City courses not on par
Posted Nov 15, 2010 02:10:18 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Kitchener’s city-owned golf courses are losing money and the city is taking steps to try to chip away at a $1.2 million deficit.
A combination of bad weather, the downturn, more competition in the local industry and a delay in Doon Valley’s expansion have led to lost revenue.
The city’s General Manager of Financial Services, Dan Chapman says they are taking an aggressive approach to try to find savings.
That means looking at more than attrition. He says the city is reducing management and administrative staffing levels and considering different contract arrangements for food and beverage, as well as the pro-shops.
With the recession, Chapman says the golf courses lost bookings for parties and tournaments, and bad weather put a damper on business in 2008 and 2009.
He says the city thought things would pick up after the recession, but that didn’t happen.
Other municipalities are seeing similar trends.
Chapman says the factors affecting Doon Valley and Rockway are consistent with what is happening across the entire sector.
