Commission Leaves All Options On Table for Operating Pines Golf Course

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

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

The city-owned, 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 the course.

Toccoa then requested proposals from anyone interested in running the golf course and City Manager Billy Morse presented two proposals to the commission on Monday.

One proposal came from a group identifying itself as the Tall Pines Management Group, led by Terry M. Martin, whose resume stated he currently works in the Atlanta area.

Morse said 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 a man named David Shirley, whom Morse said 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 said they would like to meet with both individuals and talk about their proposals.

Meanwhile, Morse said there is a third option, which is for Toccoa to operate the course itself as a city department.

Commissioner Evan Hellenga said that is an option the city needs to leave on the table.

“It might be unpopular, but I think you have true ownership,” said Hellenga.

Commissioner Jeanette Jamieson went on to say that regardless of whether the city leases out operations or takes it on itself, things need to be handled differently.

“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 said there is no rush in making a decision because making the needed repairs to the course’s greens and other areas as needed to make the course playable again will keep it closed until next August.

He said the commission could perhaps look at making a decision regarding operating the course around the end of the calendar year.