Board discusses short course, driving-range improvements and budget implications for Lakeview Golf Course

Board members spent the largest portion of the meeting discussing plans to develop a short par-3 course and to improve the driving range and practice facilities at Lakeview Golf Course.

Staff presented options to site a short course in the area near the old driving range and the bowling-green site to reduce earth-moving and improve oversight from the clubhouse. Board members said a smaller, better-laid-out set of holes may be preferable to forcing a larger number of holes into a constrained area. The board asked staff to evaluate whether five or six high-quality short holes would better serve players and reduce construction and maintenance costs compared with an eight-hole layout.

Staff and board members also discussed a range of design elements they want to add to the practice area: larger, sloped targets with visible pin placements, a practice bunker, a practice green and an artificial turf line near tees for early/late-season use. The board discussed how adding short-course holes at the south end of the range could provide an auxiliary practice area without materially shortening the primary range length; staff estimated 80–90% of the current range length could be retained with a well-sited short course.

Board members and staff reviewed budgetary guidance and preliminary figures. One staff member said the original phase estimate cited at an earlier meeting was $2.79 million but that, with cost inflation, the package may now be closer to $5.5–6 million; staff also said that a prior internal estimate for a subset of three projects was roughly $1.6 million when an additional 30% contingency was applied. Board members asked city engineering staff to provide updated site studies and a refreshed cost sheet for council consideration.

Members discussed programmatic questions: whether the short course should be treated as a fee-bearing short course (part of a greens-fee/membership endorsement) or as part of a practice facility included with range passes or memberships. Staff suggested options such as a short-course membership endorsement, a small per-use fee for the public, or inclusion for members; board members said staff should present fee and membership structures when the design and hole count are determined.

Board members voiced practical concerns about maintenance and use: ball marks and wear on short-course greens if it is primarily used as a practice facility; mixing practice users with players attempting to play multiple short-course holes; and how to marshal or manage play to avoid conflicts. Staff said these operational details will be part of the design and fee recommendation they bring back to council and that customer demand and event scheduling will influence the final decision.

The board asked staff to return with a consolidated priority list and updated cost estimates for the next council packet; staff said they expect to present fuller materials by the council meeting and that the planning will feed into next year’s budget cycle for capital work.