DeBell Golf Course operator hopes for brighter future
For many Burbank residents, DeBell Golf Course is a place they can visit to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.
This past Monday morning, dozens of golfers were getting in their rounds at the 5,633-yard, par-71 course, which is tucked away in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains off Walnut Avenue.
Standing atop the 13th tee, which is the highest point on the course, DeBell operator Scott Scozzola gazed down at the city below. It was a calm, serene and picturesque setting that was enhanced by birds chirping, a cool breeze and the pinging sound of a golf driver making contact with a ball.
However, Scozzola recalled a time when club-to-ball sounds were more prevalent at DeBell, which, for the past decade, has been struggling to stay above water financially.
On May 16, the Burbank City Council decided to take somewhat drastic measures to ensure one of the city’s biggest assets stays profitable. Council members eliminated the golf enterprise fund from the 2017-18 fiscal year budget and made modifications to the city’s agreement with Scozzola to try and buy him some time to breathe life into the city-owned facility.
“In the grand scheme, there’s a lot of things that need to be fixed,” Scozzola said. “We have irrigation here that dates back to the 1960s, and doing stuff like that is a major expense.”
He added that he aims to repair and add new cart paths around the course, rehabilitate the bunkers and add a shade structure to the driving range, which Scozzola said is much needed during the summer months.
Looking around DeBell, there are several dry patches in the fairway, crumbling cart paths and trees that died as a result of the drought and need to be removed.
Burbank officials tried giving the course a jump-start by allowing for construction of a new clubhouse, which opened in 2009. Though the new facility provided a financial boost, Scozzola said it wasn’t enough.
Scheduling conflicts have also hurt Scozzola’s ability to fully utilize the clubhouse. There was a golf tournament at the course recently, which required holding the restaurant for the golfers and turning away those looking to have dinner.
“A normal clubhouse would have a banquet room that won’t affect the dining,” Scozzola said. “That’s where we are challenged.”
However, one of the biggest detriments to DeBell and other golf courses across the country has been the large downturn in the popularity of the sport.
In the mid-1990s, professional golfer Tiger Woods brought in a wave of new golfers as he clinched title after title. However, Woods’ popularity took a hit in late 2009 when the public learned about his extramarital affairs.
Since then, Scozzola said there has not been a golfer with the same type of appeal that Woods brought to the sport.
“There’s just not that figure out there that people are really drawn to,” Scozzola said. “If you look at the pros now, like Jordan Spieth or Jason Day, they’re just as good as Tiger, but they just don’t have the draw like he had.”
DeBell has a special place in Scozzola’s heart and with his family. His father Philip Scozzola Jr. ran the course from 1971 to 2001 and was succeeded by his son.
Scott Scozzola also learned how to play golf at DeBell and played numerous tournaments there during his high school golfing career.
He has seen the facility go through its ups and downs, and last year had to take out a personal loan to help pay for the course’s rent.
“I would really like and hope that we can figure out a way to just really improve the infrastructure on the course and do some capital work on it to keep the life capacity of the golf course going,” Scozzola said.
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
