SEPTEMBER 2023

 Times do Change!

At the height of the pandemic, Santa Rosa was considering selling off its municipal golf course and develop it into affordable housing.  There was widespread opposition throughout the city. Signs were all over stating “Save Bennett Valley Golf Course.”  

Today, Santa Rosa is investing $2 Million in that Golf Course.  The money will pay for a new water storage system which is a part of a longer-term plan to upgrade the 50-year-old irrigation system.  The storage system will help keep the course green throughout the dry summer months.  Some critics claim that golf is an elitist sport.  It is good to remember that courses like Bennett Valley puts golf in the reach of more people.  People who cannot afford private clubs can afford Bennett Valley without breaking the bank.   The course also offers junior golf instruction and cheap rates – less than a dollar per hole. The Golf Course is now operating in the black and it appears that it will generate even more revenue as course conditions improve from more consistent watering.