Golf in Tucson

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The Future of City Golf in Tucson

Over the past few years the story of municipal golf in Tucson has been a virtual roller coaster ride. Once again, the Mayor and City Council are talking about what to do with the city courses (not a new topic).

Closing or re–purposing the Silverbell, El Rio and Fred Enke courses would irreparably damage Tucson golf for thousands of resident and visiting golfers and the financial impact of such a loss would be significant.

The Silverbell Golf Club (SGC), as well as several other golf clubs using city courses (i.e. The Tribe), represent a significant revenue stream into the city coffers. It has been suggested that the two clubs, SGC and the Tribe, generate 3,200 rounds of golf per year on city courses. This would account for approximately $100,000 per year in greens fees alone. This represents a sizable contribution to the revenues generated by golf for the city

The SGC Board of Directors feel it is important for all club members to be informed about the issues and status of city golf and encourages its members to actively participate in the conversation by staying informed and having their voices heard by city officials. We also suggest sharing this information with other golfers so their voices can be heard as well. Decisions concerning the future of city golf will be decided by the Mayor and City Council. City representatives have said that city officials have not come to a decision on the future of the courses yet, and that they want to hear from the community. They offered no time-line for their decision, but are hosting a series of Community Workshops asking for input. As concerned golfers with a specific interest in city golf, we need to be aware of their plans and respond to them publicly

Make no mistake, the Mayor and City Council only want golf when it can make a profit. They continue to look at golf as a recreation that must pay for itself, unlike other community services which are, at least, subsidized by taxes and other forms of revenue.

This web page is being created to provide SGC members with current information concerning the status of city golf and lists of contacts and links that will help members better understand the issues and contact the various city leaders involved. Please visit this page frequently and we will try to provide the most up to date information available.

A Brief History & Updated Documents

City to Host Workshops

The City of Tucson is hosting four community workshops to discuss the future of Tucson City Golf courses. The workshop will include a presentation on the financial history of Tucson City Golf and the various options that will be considered at each course.

Each golf course has its unique set of circumstances that impact the options.

The first community workshop on Aug. 10 focused on Silverbell Golf Course. You can read documents from the meeting here.

The other workshops will run from 6 - 8 p.m. Each meeting will focus on the nearby golf course.

What You Can Do