Golf Programs Targeted for Cuts : Economics: Budget shortfall could cause Conejo Valley school district to eliminate three teams.

The golf team at Westlake High, which has won two Southern Section championships in the past six seasons, is facing elimination next season as part of proposed budget cuts in the Conejo Valley Unified School District.

Golf programs at Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, the other high schools in the district, also are targeted for elimination.

The golf programs are among a group of five programs at each school that will be cut in light of a projected budget shortfall next year. Golf, however, is the lone varsity sport facing the ax.

“All of the guys are really disappointed,” Westlake senior Jerry Chang said Friday. “Especially some of the younger guys. We know some eighth-graders who were coming here who are really talented, and they don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Westlake recorded top-five finishes in five of the past six seasons in Southern Section team competition and won team titles in 1986 and 1987.

Chang and several teammates were among a group of 400 that attended a school board meeting at Westlake on Thursday night in which a variety of proposed cuts, including those in the district’s athletic budget, were discussed.

Many turned out to voice their objections over the proposed layoffs of Westlake football Coach Jim Benkert and basketball Coach Gary Grayson.

According to Westlake Athletic Director Jack Loritz, the outlay for the golf team is approximately $2,000, which covers the stipend that walk-on Coach Gordon Crook receives. Transportation costs are paid by the athletes, and North Ranch Country Club, the Warriors’ home site, does not charge the team greens fees.

Past standouts at Westlake include Charlie Wi, who shortly after his graduation last summer won the state amateur championship. Over the past 12 seasons, nine boys and three girls from Westlake have earned NCAA Division I golf scholarships.

Four Westlake players have earned scholarships to USC, and Trojan Coach Randy Lein attended the school board meeting Thursday night.

According to Chang, Lein has suggested to team members that if the cuts come to pass, perhaps a tournament could be staged as a fund-raiser.

“We have a lot of people in the community who want the golf teams to stay,” Loritz said. “The whole Marmonte League is very competitive. Every year (the league) sends three teams to the playoffs, and our third-place team can beat a lot of other people.”

Also targeted for elimination are frosh-soph boys’ soccer, freshman boys’ basketball, freshman girls’ basketball and freshman girls’ volleyball.

The five programs have been designated as “second-priority” items on the 1991-92 budget, which has not been approved by the school board. But with a projected budget deficit of $3.9 million, it appears unlikely that the programs will be saved.

According to budget figures, the elimination of 15 programs and 15 coaching positions--five at each high school--will save the district approximately $38,000.