Funding Found to Repair Lake Ridge Golf Course

The Lake Ridge Golf Course was once the Park Authority’s crowning jewel when it opened almost 20 years ago. Golfers say it’s a perfect spot to sharpen short-game skills and teach amateurs how to play on the 72-acre, three-par site overlooking the Occoquan River.

The economic downturn has been a harsh reality for the course and those who love to play on it—golf is just a game and it’s not going to get scarce public dollars over public safety and education.

“The general maintenance standards for all parks has been lowered as a result of the budget reductions over the past few years,” said Dianne Cabot, the spokeswoman for the Prince William County Parks Authority.

But through negotiations, meetings and teamwork, the course could soon be getting the repairs it so desperately needs.

The Lake Ridge Park Lady’s Golf League is a regular user of the course. Club members recently asked county supervisors if they could fund a total of about $32,400 for one year and then $15,000 each year thereafter to improve the condition of the course and to maintain it each year. League member Ellenor Gedny said the approaches are disappearing on the course, the grass is too high and there’s turf rot in some spots. She said they would all love to be able to play a "less frustrating game of golf" at their hometown course.

“The Lake Ridge Golf Course was a beautiful course when it opened 20 years ago,” she said. “It’s going to take about three years to get the course in decent shape.”

Gendy said the league members do feel awkward asking for the golf course funding when there are many other groups that need the money, too, but she doesn’t want to see the golf course get so out of shape that it would be too costly for the county to repair.

The Park Authority has been trying to recoup the lost funding. In 2009, the Park Authority increased the greens fees to make up for some of the cuts and to help pay for the one full-time, one part-time and three seasonal employees on the payroll. But the new fees have not been enough.

Recently, the golf league walked the course with Park Authority staff and board members, and Supervisor Michael May to come up with an estimate to fix the golf course. Cabot said during the past winter months, $50,000 was spent on tree clearing, sod replacement and some over seeding.

Park Authority staff estimated that day that another $32,400 would be needed for this coming year and then $15,000 every year thereafter to bring the course back to its original playability and to maintain it through the five-year plan.

May said that the condition of the course has already improved. “With that said, there is still some work that needs to be done,” he said.  “I have worked with the Park Authority and we have a solution.”

Park Authority Executive Director Jay Ellington found $15,000 in annual funds from the existing budget that can be used for maintenance costs, May said. Ellington then asked the Board of County Supervisors to try to find the additional one-time funds of $17,000.

“Specifically, we have identified a little over $17,000 in proffer funds that we will be transferring to the Park Authority for this purpose,” May said. “Thus, we will have the full $32,000 and then $15,000 in annual maintenance to get the Lake Ridge Course back on track and keep it in good condition.”

"That's great news," Gedny said on Saturday. "This will give us some immediate relief and next year there will be even more relief. We are quite pleased that this has occurred."