Toccoa Weighs Golf Course Options

By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

Toccoa City Commissioners say they will continue to look at all options for operating the city-owned Pines Golf Course.

Commissioners talked about the golf course at a work session Monday.

The nine-hole course on Black Mountain Road has been closed since late August, when the previous operator informed the city he could no longer run it.

Toccoa then requested proposals from anyone interested taking over management of the property.  City Manager Billy Morse presented two proposals to the commission he has received so far.

One proposal came from a group identifying itself as the Tall Pines Management Group, led by Terry M. Martin, whose resume states he currently works in the metro Atlanta area.  Morse says the Tall Pines proposal actually came with three options.

“One is to basically hire him to get the course open and then it would become a city operation,” said Morse. “Second, make it into a walking/bike park. The other is using his group to manage and operate the course. There are some financial obligations on behalf of the city to enter into that type of arrangement and the chance to share in some profits.”

The second proposal came from David Shirley, whom Morse says grew up in Toccoa and currently works at a golf course in Idaho.

“His proposal requires the city to do all the major capital improvements,” said Morse. “He suggests a staffing level he think would work.”

City commissioners say they would like to meet with both individuals and talk about their proposals.  A third option, Morse said would be for Toccoa to take back operations of the course as a city department.

Commissioner Evan Hellenga says that is an option the city needs to leave on the table.  Commissioner Jeanette Jamieson agreed.

Jamieson said regardless of whether the city leases out operations or takes it on itself, things need to be handled differently.

Jeanette Jamieson trt: 16 oc: let that happen

“I think that regardless of what we do … we need to be a little more diligent in looking at the condition (of the course).”

Commissioners instructed Morse to continue looking at what it would take for the city to run the course as a department, while also looking closely at the two other proposals received.

Morse says the board has time to make a decision since it will take a year to make the course playable again.