On June 22nd, the Sun Valley Golf Course in La Mesa will close all golf operations permanently. It will instead be converted into a public park by the city.
The City of La Mesa first entered into a fifteen year lease agreement with Sun Valley Golf, LLC in 1997, to operate a nine-hole golf course in MacArthur Park.
Later on, disc golf was added to the facility and most recently foot golf, in an effort to expand participation and increase revenue at Sun Valley.
"They've been struggling financially and golf is a difficult venture right now," said Susan Richardson, community services director for the City of La Mesa.
Richardson added the course has been struggling financially since 2011.
In October 2016, the operators of the golf course requested early termination of the lease and have been on a month to month agreement since March 2017. Golf operations will end Thursday.
Richardson said the new park will have jogging and walking trails. It will open towards the end of July.
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The city has $50,000 from a general fund that will go towards filling the golf course holes, landscaping and making the park ready for the public, according to Richardson.
She added after that, the city will hold public meetings in August to ask citizens what amenities they will want at the park, such as outdoor fitness equipment, gardens or an area for a dog park.
Golfers who have been going to the course for decades are upset it is closing.
"Yeah, it will be sad. It will be. I've been feeling it for the last three weeks coming here to play every day," said Robert Reid, who has been golfing at the course for over 33 years.
Richardson said they are hoping that making the land a park will attract more people to it.
"We are short on park land in La Mesa for the citizens, so it was the perfect opportunity," said Richardson.
