$2 Fee Hike OKd for County Golf Courses

Fees at Los Angeles County-owned golf courses will increase by $2 beginning July 1, but the Board of Supervisors also ordered the parks department to try to set aside playing time for golfers who can’t afford the regular fees.

The decision, adopted by a 3-1 vote Thursday, will raise greens fees at the county’s 19 courses on weekdays from $17 to $19 and on weekends from $21 to $23. Senior citizens with discount cards will pay about half that much.

Meanwhile, the county Department of Parks and Recreation will report back to the board in two weeks on the issue of discounted playing hours.

County courses now offer discounts on greens fees during the mid- and late afternoons.

“I think we need to go ahead with the increase, but I think we should look into having a reduced rate when we aren’t full anyway,” said Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke.

Earlier, Craig Kessler, director of the private Southern California Public Links Golf Assn., which represents about 22,000 golfers, told the supervisors that the increases could have disastrous impacts.

“I think you’re going to disenfranchise thousands of golfers,” he said. “When you last raised fees in 1992, there was a decline by 200,000 rounds of golf that has never been recovered.”

The increase in greens fees is expected to raise about $700,000 for the county, which is facing a budget shortfall of up to $1.2 billion.

The two county courses in the San Fernando Valley are El Cariso in Sylmar and Knollwood in Granada Hills.

County officials said the price hikes would probably not affect attendance at courses.