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outsourced to a private firm? The answer depends on whom you ask. “When we signed Sierra Golf Management to run Salinas Fairways, there were some concerns that the course would suffer,� says Salinas Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jim Pea. “We were bringing in $1.1 million per year, but we were spending $1.8 or $1.9 [million]. In the end, they were able to do things that we weren’t, and so far there have been very few complaints from the golfing community.� San Francisco’s Golf Program director Sean Sweeney disagrees with Pea. And while admitting that two of the city’s public courses are a drain on the budget, he says keeping them city-owned is crucial to the reputation of the local game. “I’m convinced that bringing in a private management company will degrade the maintenance of the course until the new staff learns what they’re doing,� says Sweeney. “This is a very contentious issue that’s been discussed every year since 1998.� Well-kept greens are considered essential for fast and accurate putts, so the much-lauded course

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Number of people from Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties who completed the Workforce Development Services training through Goodwill last year.

grooming at De Laveaga is not just easy on the eyes but good for the game as well. But aside from worries over whether the grass trimming will suffer should a private company take over, there are concerns that the club’s reasonable rates could be jacked up over the heads of casual players. It currently costs $19 to walk on after 5:30pm and $71 to ride a cart in the primetime early weekend hours at De Laveaga. It’s a much cheaper alternative to the renowned Pasatiempo Golf Course, which runs a steep $222 per round, plus reservation and cart fees. It’s also in line with other public courses in the area, like Scotts Valley’s nine-hole Valley Garden Course, which charges $18; Aptos’ Seascape course, which runs $46 to $71; and Watsonville’s Spring Hills Golf Course, which costs $35 to $45, depending on

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the day. Shoemaker says rates at the course are already slated to go up slightly come July 1, and that an outside firm could potentially raise them further. But she also says that’s unlikely, as higher prices usually mean fewer golfers. Among many De Laveaga golfers and employees, there is a hope that the course’s head golf pro, Tim Loustalot, will step up and take over the course as a business venture. Many say he’s the one responsible for the course’s immaculate grooming and friendly atmosphere. On hole 18, a foursome of ladies finishing up their round agree that Loustalot has “done wonders� for local golf. “Tim treats ladies who play here like royalty,� says Pat Davis, a self-described loyal De Laveaga golfer of more than 10 years. “I think he, if anyone, could run the course if the city can’t.� But Loustalot has been silent on the matter and did not return several phone calls seeking comment. So for now, golfers are enjoying the finely trimmed grass of Santa Cruz’s favorite budget golf course in the knowledge that months from now, hitting into the rough might be a bit rougher. “People who work this course take pride in what they do,� says Keast, climbing into his golf cart and heading after his drive. “Everyone who plays here loves it, and I’d hate to see that change.� 0

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