Background Information on Future of Golf Land in San Francisco

As you probably know, San Francisco's six public golf courses that are managed by the Recreation and Park Department lose millions of dollars every year and consume more than 400 acres of park land in our dense city of 49 square miles. As a “solution” to this problem, RPD was considering a proposal to privatize a number of courses, which would mean this land would continue to be used solely for golf for at least the next 30 years.

We believe that San Franciscans would benefit more if some of the golf course land were dedicated to other recreational uses. It's a question of equity to meet the demands of more city residents.

NPC and the Equitable Use of Open Space Coalition* believes it is only fair to ask the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to postpone any decision on its public golf courses until the City studies alternative uses for some of those courses. We are pleased to announce that a study to assess alternate uses for San Francisco's golf courses was funded in the 2007-08 budget. However, the study did not get underway until March 2008. We believe that public land should not be given away without proper analysis of alternative, potentially more cost-effective recreation and open space uses that may benefit a greater number of San Francisco residents.

San Francisco has three times as many public golf courses as Chicago, a city with four times the population. Meanwhile, San Francisco's public golf courses are being used at 40% capacity, with the exception of Harding and Golden Gate. A 2004 Recreation Assessment Report indicates that San Francisco residents ranked golf courses 16th out of 19 desired types of facilities. The same report concluded that there are dramatic shortages of other types of recreation facilities such as playfields, basketball courts, skate parks, and nature trails in our city.

Despite the fact that golf is not a high priority recreation for the people of San Francisco, RPD recently presented a proposal to relinquish control of hundreds of acres of public land presently dedicated to golf courses, without the essential consideration of all potentially much-needed uses, and without adequate public process.

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Thanks To You

A study to assess alternate uses for San Francisco's golf courses was funded in the 2007-08 budget, as well as additional gardeners and custodians for our neighborhood parks. However, the study did not get underway until March 2008.

The funding of this study is due in large part to the hard work and advocacy of NPC's coalition and concerned citizens like you. Thanks to all of you who have attended rallies (click here for June 2007 rally photos), commented at public meetings, written letters to elected officials, and signed our petition in the past few months, to promote the equitable use of open space in our city.

Thank you to Supervisor Sophie Maxwell for introducing the legislation to conduct a study to assess the possibility of converting one or more golf courses to alternate recreational uses, such as hiking trails or soccer fields, which were identified among top priorities for city residents in the 2004 Recreation Assessment. The privatization legislation will now move back to committee, to be revisited after the study is completed.

June 2007 SF Chronicle cartoon: NPC creates a divot in the golf system, by proposing that some golf courses be open for other recreation uses