WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – As Watertown lawmakers look at leasing the Thompson Park Golf Course next summer, how did the course do this past season?
“The demand for golf has been very strong all summer long,” said Jeffrey Fallon, general manager of Thompson Park Golf Course.
Financial outlook
Fallon said it is too early to know whether the course will financially break even this year. He said the numbers won’t be counted until the end of the season in mid-October.
Fallon, who started as general manager this year, said he is fairly confident the course will perform better this year than in past years, when it lost several hundred thousand dollars.
“I’ll put our numbers up against theirs. I’d be happy to do that,” Fallon said.
Jim Scordo, Watertown Parks and Recreation program manager, agreed it is looking like a good year for the golf course so far, attributing it to Fallon, the staff and a few changes from years past.
“Between just doing daily rounds — maybe not doing as many tournaments and stuff like that — that’s definitely going to be saving us on our costs,” said Scordo.
City considers lease for 2027
A better season doesn’t change the course’s turbulent past, which is why the city is looking to lease the golf course in 2027.
A request for proposal by the city will allow anyone interested to offer a price to run the 18 holes and the clubhouse. The city will decide which proposal to accept, if any.
Watertown City Council member Shane Garrabrant believes this is the best option for the course.
“Essentially, what I’m looking for are people with experience at operating a golf course so we know that’ll be taken care of and managed well and ones that are going to take a lot of the residual cost over from the city,” Garrabrant said.
Garrabrant said if the bids don’t come in or the asking price isn’t right, his vote would be for the city to continue running the course, at least for the next year.
That would likely be a relief to Fallon, who said he would be disappointed to see the course fall into dormancy.
“It would be sad for the city,” Fallon said. “Between the two golf courses — Thompson Park and Ives Hill — there’s 100 years of rich golf history that would pretty much, 18-hole-wise anyway, would be down the drain.”
The city will accept bids on the course until Oct. 13, when it plans to open the bids.
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