WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Watertown City Council hasn’t reached a consensus regarding the future of the Thompson Park Golf Course. It comes as the city adjusts how much money the course lost this past year.
During an hour-long discussion Monday night, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Scott Weller gave a couple of models on how to keep going after adjusting the total loss for 2025 from $102,000 to $87,000.
One model is to run the course as is with season passes, green fees, and tournaments.
Another model would eliminate the tournaments and events. This, Weller says, would likely give the city the best opportunity to break even.
The third is a hybrid of the two with smaller tournaments, and the last is leasing the facility.
Weller says it’s likely too late to lease for next season, though.
Outgoing Council Member Lisa Ruggiero says each year has done better than the year before, and could be even better with more advertising and promotions. She says the golf course doesn’t lose as much as the Municipal Arena at the Fairgrounds.
She said the net loss represents about 1.5% to 2% of the Parks and Recreation’s almost $4 million budget of total expenses.
“You need to know which direction we’re going right? Which model,” Ruggiero asked Weller.
“The sooner we know the better, yes,” he replied.
“I support sticking with the original model,” she answered.
Outgoing Council Member Cliff Olney said, “The same, I do too.”
Council Member Ben Shoen says he would like to see the course operating on the same system, with ideas that could increase revenue.
“We could sell sponsorship signs on the tee boxes. That was talked about, and for some reason, that never happened. I actually inquired myself about a tee box sponsor sign early in the season and was told I couldn’t get one,” he said.
Mayor Sarah Pierce says she wants to hear what golfers think.
“Surveying those golfers in some way, surveying those customers to say, ‘Okay, what do you think about this? Would it make you more likely to use the course? Less likely with these different options? Are there things we could be doing differently,’” she said.
The course is also facing future facility and equipment costs totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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