WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Some West Valley City residents are voicing concerns about the future of The Ridge Golf Club, a course that’s been around for decades, as city officials evaluate how the land might be used going forward.
“I can’t imagine someone entertaining even taking it away,” retiree Steve Beck, a West Valley City resident for nearly 40 years, said. “It’s just mind-boggling.”
It’s a quiet day at The Ridge Golf Club, which sits along the foothills on the city’s west side.
“Onto the next one!” yelled one golfer.
And golfers are doing what they’ve done for decades, teeing off with friends on a course they call home. “This place is a gem. We have our own slice of heaven right here,” golfer Rick Kitchens said.
A slice of heaven that Kitchens is worried will be replaced by a new development. Kitchens says he’s been golfing at The Ridge Golf Club, located at 5055 S. Westridge Blvd, since the 90s.
The Ridge Club, originally known as West Ridge Golf Club, opened in the spring of 1991. Kitchens says this is where he meets his friends three times a week.
Sam Johnson, a spokesperson for West Valley City, told us they’re conducting a land survey to review possible uses for the nearly 200-acre property. So far, they said, the topic isn’t scheduled for city council discussion. “I want West Valley to succeed, but I don’t want them to succeed at the expense of the citizens that aren’t even born yet,” Kitchens said while sitting in a golf cart.
Johnson says the city is exploring all possibilities to make sure the land is used in the best way possible and that any decision made will serve the best interests of West Valley residents. He says the survey will take about a month, and only after that will the city decide whether to bring it to the city council for consideration.
“Why would you take that from us? Not just from us but from our future generations,” Kitchens said.
For now, neighbors say they plan on making their voices heard at city council meetings, hoping their golf course stays for good. “This is a blue-ribbon, first-class golf course that needs to stay right here so people can enjoy it 100 years from now,” Beck said.
