Who Wants To Re-grass Harding Park's Greens!?
As if the old regime at PGA Tour Design Service's bloated renovation price tag ($23 million) wasn't already tragic enough, conversations are taking place about Harding Park's greens needing re-grassing in advance of a 2016 "playoff" event at the San Francisco muni.
The project, if it happens, figures to occur after next year’s Schwab Cup. That still would allow time for the new greens to round into shape before Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Co. come to Harding in ’16.
City officials also must find a way to pay for any renovation of the greens, no small obstacle given ever-present budget constraints.
“Resources are always going to be an issue, so we need to figure out the smartest way to do it,” Ginsburg said.
Considering that the city is struggling to fend off suggestions that the other city courses be closed due to budget constraints and that $23 million bought an uninspired design that in a more ideal economy should be renovated, maybe the PGA Tour can pick up the tab on this one since it's their precious members who have to have things absolutely perfect?
Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 10:58 PM
Reader Comments (26)
Just once I would like to see a course setup with hard/true greens that stimp-out at a max of 7.5 or 8.0...lets see em try to adapt, they're supposed to be professionals.
To think how many junior golfers that money could've helped to gain access to local courses makes me sad for the future of golf.
the money being wasted to get pga greens from great to unbelievably perfect is out of hand and becoming disgusting especially when the average fan reads articles like this during times of natural disaster and a worsening economy. if anything, these articles along with players playing for 10 millions dollar paydays at the end of these season turn people off to golf.
You should be able to build four courses for that....unless you are the Donald.
The $23,000,000 was already spent to redo the whole place, including the new clubhouse. Thes new greens would be an extra, and as far as I can tell unyet quantified, amount.
How much would "regrassing" really cost? I will guarantee you these greens will not be dug up and reconstructed -- at least not on the
taxpayers dime.
"Regrassing", we will see who pays for that...
...dollars to donuts the city signed a contract with the PGA Tour that includes a clause on this specific situation, and I highly doubt that said clause points to the Tour as the source of funds.
Oh well, at least they got the most important part of the course.
Hey, a lot of us believe the Tour administration is evil, but greens do not last forever. How long has it been since the top-to-bottom redo, 8-9 years? I bet when the Tour signed the operating agreement in 2010 this was a specific item they addressed as a "to-do" in the future....
....public never likes finding out after the fact they were put on the hook for something -- and especially not the frog loving greater SF area public!!
How much does "re-grassing" cost?
Is Chambers Bay also re-grassing?
Maintenance Facility - 2,473,500
Parking Lot - 1,953,508
Clubhouse - 8,285,612
Total - $ 23,611,457
$3.4 million was privately donated for the Clubhouse
Open Space Fund (Prop C) was used for $13mm, which City residents approved in a landslide and is being paid back with course revenue. No idea about the other $6.6mm, but at least the course is a tangible benefit that can be used by anyone in a city that has experienced tons of wasteful spending with nothing to show for it in the last decade.
What year did that take place?
Chris Gray was indeed involved. To say he wasn't involved is simply wrong
Again, what year did the PGA Tour undertake the renovation, anyone?
How much does "re-grassing" cost?
Overall, I enjoy the golf course, but always leave a bit more sadded that they can't maintain it the way it should be.