Redmond OKs new contract for Juniper Golf Course

The Redmond City Council on Tuesday night approved a new four-year contract with CourseCo, Inc. for the management of the city’s troubled Juniper Golf Course, starting Jan. 1.

A lengthy public review of CourseCo’s past performance by the Golf Committee, City Council and city staff led to new contract terms intended to reduce the city’s financial risk, leverage capital investment from CourseCo, and integrate performance metrics to drive outcomes that increase usage of the facilities, officials said

“We believe CourseCo remains the best management option for Juniper Golf Course,” said Jason Neff, Deputy Director of Central Services. “The new contract was designed to improve the financial performance of the Golf Fund, to lessen the annual financial obligation on the city’s General Fund relative to operational losses, and to improve management’s customer communication and the quality of services provided.

The four-year contract includes a $100,000 capital investment from CourseCo, an early termination clause for unsatisfactory performance after two years, a reduced management fee, and the development of an Annual Performance Plan which sets expectations for the operating budget, a marketing and promotional plan, a capital expenditure plan, and service audit programs.

“This could not have been achieved without such thorough public involvement,” commented Keith Witcosky, Redmond city manager. “The foundation of the contract was built on four months of input and even included a third-party golf management expert to help calibrate the performance metrics.”

Juniper Golf Course is one of the top-rated municipal golf courses in the state of Oregon, officials said.