Council will consider if it’s worth spending up to $150,000 for consultants, and the equivalent of nearly two full-time city employees, to review the state of golf and the 23 active golf courses in Calgary. Earlier this month, a city committee approved the idea, with only Coun. Evan Woolley arguing the move would not be money well spent. The conversation comes as four contentious redevelopments have been approved on former golf courses across the city since 2011 — decisions that have spurred protests, petitions and outcry from neighbors. City bureaucrats believe the study would help inform future golf course redevelopment applications. If council approves giving the study the green light, funding would need to be secured as part of the 2018 budget process.
