Subscribe free to our daily email newsletterEditorial Opinion By Brad Rourke: My Thoughts On Redgate
Sep 20, 2010 10:59 - 8 Comments
Photo from Goodman and Farrelly of wildlife habitat which would be lost
For years now, a simmering (and sometimes boiling) issue for Rockville has been what to do about the Redgate Golf Course. Tonight, the Mayor and Council are slated to discuss and make decisions about it. A number of options are on the table, and still more may well be considered. Here’s my perspective.
Redgate used to make money, but for the past few years it has lost money. A business plan designed to turn things around has so far not been successful. In part, that may be because it has not been executed effectively, but the overall market conditions for golf are very poor right now.
Unlike other recreational amenities in Rockville, Redgate’s accounting has been separated out as its own fund, so the taxpayer subsidy and revenues are easy to identify. That has made it, in the words of the Redgate Advisory Committee tasked with making recommendations to the Mayor and Council, “low hanging fruit” in these times of belt-tightening.
(The Redgate Advisory Committee, ably led by Joseph Jordan and Martha Klasing, submitted a report to the Mayor and Council last week.)
How low is the fruit hanging? According to Rockville Central contributor Art Stigile, who has been very thoughtfully examining the numbers closely, over a number of weeks, the subsidy to Redgate is $883,740 (that’s its deficit plus administrative expenses). Compare that to the subsidy to the Rockville Swim Center, which is $675,323.
For perspective, the City’s overall budget is $104.9 million. So Redgate is less than 1% of the City’s budget.
Cases On Both Sides
Both sides in this debate make fair points.
On the one hand, running a golf course is expensive, and benefits relatively few people directly (roughly 35,000 rounds are played per year, compared to something over 110,000 visits to the Rockville Swim Center per year). We certainly could do other things with the money.
On the other hand, Redgate has developed a fiercely loyal following among many golfers, who say it is a course that is really only now “coming into its own,” and is viewed as one of the better courses in the region. It is an open space that is maintained and accessible to most anyone. And, the City has plenty of amenities that are used far less than the Swim Center, for instance one resident recently pointed out on a neighborhood email list that the Senior Center is frequently empty.
“Game Changers”
I’ve heard members of the Mayor and Council say that, if we are going to do something with Redgate, it ought to be a real “game changer” for the City. In other words, it ought to be something that places Rockville on the map such that, when folks in California or Michigan hear “Rockville,” they think of whatever Redgate becomes. I used to agree with this, but I thought about what a “game changer” would really look like. I thought about the small- and medium-size cities in other states that I know about in the same way we’re talking about. They are either college towns, or they are commercial or cultural destinations.
My favorite use for the Redgate land would be to create a small, highly selective, four year liberal arts college. But I’m told there isn’t quite enough land, and the climate to start a new college is tougher than it is for golf. Plus, we’ve got those satellite Universities-at-Shady-Grove establishments a stone’s throw away. They are not direct competitors to what I am imagining, but they do make the space crowded in terms of gaining a foothold. So, we’re not likely to get a new Swarthmore College here in Rockville.
Another possible new use would be to make Redgate a commercial destination. The best one I can think of would be to create an awesome, upscale mall. Yes, I’m serious. (I’m an odd duck: I actually like malls.) The Maryland side of the Capital region has nothing to match the commercial splendor that is Tyson’s. Montgomery Mall, the closest competitor, is sort of sad by comparison. This option, though, has myriad problems, not the least of which is the fact that probably none of my friends and neighbors would go for it. The main problems I see are that there isn’t enough room to really execute an awesome mall, and the road access is insufficient. (We’d need an I-270 exit onto Gude, and would need to beef that road up – not to mention the improvements to access we’d need to make on Norbeck/MD-28 from the Pike.) No, I don’t see a mall happening.
So that leads to a “cultural destination.” That means, in other words, and awesome performance space. People have pointed to Wolftrap as an icon for that. However, here again we’ve got a problem. There’s not enough space to create something like Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Rockville (adjacent) already has an awesome smaller performance space: The Music Center at Strathmore. I am hard pressed to think of something we could create that would go beyond what Strathmore offers.
Big Facilities
There’s one final “game changer” that has been discussed, in various forms. That would be some kind of arena-style event site. People have talked about a baseball stadium, a soccer complex, a high-school graduation venue, and more.
I can see the attraction of this idea. We could create something that fills a regional need and generates some revenue for the City. Done right, we could keep at least some of the open space the course now represents.
However, a site designed specifically for large-scale events would create more traffic hassles than even the crazy Awesome Mall idea would – because the traffic would all be happening at the same time. And, there are a number of behavior problems that come along with large event spaces that the surrounding neighborhoods would need to deal with.
Parks And Open Space
Another option that is on the table involves keeping the Redgate open space, but removing the golf component. That would mean either turning it into a park, or basically just letting the land go (after a few years of invasive species maintenance).
I see two problems with this approach. First, the park option is duplicative. There’s already a massive park right there – Lake Needwood. Turning Redgate into park would essentially make it invisible. It would be seen as part of Lake Needwood.
Letting the land go “back to nature,” in my view, is a non starter – and is the kind of move that cities do when they just have no other options. My hometown of Detroit recently did that with its Rouge Park, basically giving up on it. I would not want to visit the area now unless I were with others and packing heat. While a “back-to-nature” option for Redgate would probably not result in the same thing, I do think it is an invitation to a host of enforcement problems that we don’t now have. If we get into the same troubles that Detroit is in, maybe we might consider this — but not now. It’s a move we can’t easily undo.
My Take: Keep The Golf Course
Having considered just about all the options I could think of, here’s my perspective.
Redgate Golf Course is an unusual asset and, as municipal golf courses go, is an example of best-of-breed. There is an economic downturn that’s impacting everything, but it won’t last. In fact, word came out today that, officially, the recession ended June 2009.
As the economy picks up, Redgate’s revenues will bounce back. It may never support itself, and I don’t think it should be asked to. It’s one of the wonderful City amenities that makes Rockville a great City.
We should keep Redgate essentially as-is — an excellent municipally-owned golf course.
It is an open question as to who should run Redgate as a golf course. Maybe different execution could give us a bump in revenue. However, the current management and staff are part of what makes Redgate a City amenity and not just some golf course. So I would hesitate to contract out operations if that would mean suddenly the course gets a corporate feel.
(I do have one thought about a possible change. I don’t know how much space this would take, but if there were a way to develop a high-end conference center (a retreat-like atmosphere, not just a convention space) without impacting the course too greatly, I think that could be useful. Many corporate and other high-level retreats and offsite meetings benefit from being close to golf. And for the non-golfers, an easy shuttle to Lake Needwood provides other recreation activities.)
While we have budget problems right now, they are nowhere near those faced by other jurisdictions. We don’t need to take extreme measures – we need to figure out how to ride out the next five years or so until things bounce back.
If we trade away Redgate because we’re tightening our belts, I worry we’ll look back and find that a short-sighted move.
That’s just my opinion, and I welcome what other people have to say!
Note: This is just Brad’s personal opinion, not the institutional view of Rockville Central.
8 Comments
Leave a Reply
Read our comment policy. Please be civil. Don't write something you would not say to someone's face. COMMENTS ARE MODERATED. We reject comments with vulgarities, obscenities, or that personally attack other commenters. We also reject comments that do not USE FULL NAMES. We may ban ip addresses where we detect multiple aliases posting.
I sent a letter to the Mayor and Council:
I read the Red Gate report and listened to the M&C discussion on Monday night. I am not sure that I can add much to the discussion but I think the problem can be broken down into components that seemed to me helpful.
1. Nobody wants to see the green space lost. Proposals for a stadium or sports complex would destroy a valuable asset and not add a compensating one.
2. The reason why this is a knotty problem is that we are in a temporary dip in our economy and the city has reduced revenues. Our problem is not as bad as some places but it is causing us to retrench somewhat while we await better times. The Golf Course is a big target, we would cut some expenditures by orienting the property in some other way. The Golf Course is an attractive target because it is also perceived to have a small select clientele that presumably has limited power to hurt in elections.
3. A referendum has been suggested. It is presumed that the number of Golf Course supporters is small enough that the Golf Course could be disposed of.
Perhaps I have missed some aspect but I think these are the major elements. My comments follow:
1. I have not heard a proposal for an alternate use that would improve the financial picture. The financial risk for alternate uses still rests with the city. Any construction project would cost more and take longer to improve our financial picture than our current revenue loss period will probably last. Nevertheless the current model does not seem sustainable .
2. Some method has to found to utilize the Golf Course facility by a larger fraction of the city and at lower cost to users. Large parks have large costs. Dogwood park has 3 baseball diamonds, 3 basketball courts and 3 tennis courts. As far as I know all these facilities are funded out of the Recreation department because of the large clientele. Expanded use of the Golf Course could copy the example of St. Andrews. A day could be set aside for Frisbee golf using the current green structure. A small miniature golf course could be set up. Concerts under the stars could use some natural seating. With this wider use of the grounds, the removal of the Golf Course from being totally self supporting could be justified. The actual Golf Facility could still be operated on a self supporting basis.
It is clear some modification of the current set up must be made. No solution is going to supply instant financial relief.
It would be a great shame if the M&C felt they had to make a decision that would permanently preclude any retention of the open green space now enjoyed. Remember, our financial status will stabilize, revenues will eventually improve.
Keep cool, think ahead, Rockville has a bright future.
Roald Schrack
Very astute analysis, Brad. I think I agree with you that Redgate ought to remain a golf course because it will probably make a profit or at least break even in coming years. Golf is a well liked sport and is especially popular among our growing senior population. It’s hard to envision a better use for that particular chunk of land. How much residential real estate is nearby? Could be a nice spot for someone who loves to play.
Brad,
Thank you for such a thoughtful and well reasoned analysis. I hadn’t thought of a mall option - I’m sure you’d at least have the vote of my teenage daughter.
Overall, though I completely agree that the location is really not suited for activities that generate large volumes of traffic and that letting it “go back to nature” is also a total non-starter. We already have a nature center and if the land is allowed to revert to its natural state - that does not fulfill its mission as a recreational facility for the citizens of Rockville.
Like Roald, I sent a letter to the M&C last week supporting the retention of the golf course.
My point was that there are other municipal golf courses in the area (Herndon, VA for example) that operate under an enterprise fund similar to Redgate and are able to meets their financial objectives. I spent some time reviewing how Herndon operates and was impressed that they run their operation very efficiently. They are organized somewhat differently - having a Director of Golf who oversees both top line revenues as well as the bottom line net of expenses. It is expected to pay its way - and does so on a consistent basis.
It seems reasonable to expect Redgate could also succeed financially if managed in a way more consistent with a bottom line orientation and full accountability. I would like to see the city have someone who is responsible for managing operations, and be accountable when things go off course.
On the other hand, there seems to be interest in adding other recreational facilities at this location (cross country skiing in the winter, a temporary outdoor ice skating rink, maybe a fitness room, etc.). If this in fact is the direction the city decides to go in, then the golf course should be removed from the enterprise fund and funded like other recreational facilities in the city - and not have to “pay its way.”
Either way, the golf course should be retained as it’s a valuable asset to the city and cannot be restored once lost. To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, I’d hate to see us pave over paradise for a parking lot (or houses, or an arena, or a stadium, etc.)
Thanks, Brad.
I totally support keeping Readgate as a golf course. It is an asset that is unique for Rockville, very few cities our size can claim that they offer a DC area Top 10 golf course. If we wer to loose this asset, due to short sighted vision because of the passing economy, we will NEVER get it back.
Althought it’s correct that golf courses in general are suffering in the economy like many enterprises, this is temporary and will bouce back. A more aggressive and creative marketing plan might be in order. Let’s find unique ways to attractr more residents to learn and enjoy golf.
Keep Redgate a golf course!
Tom Miner
as art stigile recently wrote here:
“To summarize, that’s $24 per visit to the Golf Course, $2.28 per visit to the Swim Center. That’s one-tenth the taxpayer subsidy per round of Golf Course.”
http://rockvillecentral.com/?s=redgate&q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Frockvillecentral.com
Thanks for all the comments!
Theresa, I respect the heck out of Art, and I usually agree with him. In this case, while the per-person subsidy is an important piece of data, by itself it does not convince me. Comparing a less-used and a very-much-more-used facility ensures the comparison will be negative. But what’s the per-person subsidy for, say, the Senior Center? Or for Thompson Farm Center? Or Rockville University? Those are all important amenities too.
It’s important to know what we are paying, true. I am saying that, even knowing what it costs, I believe this subsidy is worth it.
Brad,
Rockville should try to find a way to keep the golf course and make it profitable, or at least break even. The city could consider adding a restaurant/conference center to attract additional revenue. There is no reason why the city couldn’t attract a private sector company operate such an operation with a percentage of the profits going to the city.
This could be an ideal location for conferences, social events, and weddings without interfering with golf.
I would like to comment on several of people’s ideas. Roald’s ideas of having a day, perhaps in the fall, for Frisbee golf is great. It would introduce people to a new game while at the same time bring people to Redgate
who have probably never been there. I also like the idea of a miniature golf course somewhere on the property. This is something that appeals to all ages, brings families together and might even encourage youngsters to want to play golf when they get older (thus further supporting Redgate).
Susan Prince’s idea of removing it from the enterprise fund is right on. Why shouldn’t Redgate just be another reason for people to move to Rockville, another of our many amenities that make our city special? Let’s concentrate on making it the most friendly and best golf course it can be without adding the pressure of having to sustain itselffinancially. There are so many things in life more important than money and quality of life is what we should strive to attain.
You are absolutely right Tom Minor! Once we lose Redgate, we will never get it back. There simply is no more land in Rockville to ever add a golf course after we destroy this one. We need to be a bit more far sighted. This space is precious and even though I and many others do not play golf, we can enjoy the fact that while it is there, no huge congestion of traffic occurs, no additional schools need to be built, and no more police need to be added to handle crowds.
We are such a great city. Let’s try to hold on and get through the greatest depression since “the great depression”. We can always re-evaluate this decision in a few years when the economy picks back up – BUT if you make the decision now, you will never get a second chance.
Let’s also work on finding ways to bring people to the golf course who have never held a golf club.