Bernalillo County to Spend $1.5 Million on UNM Golf Course

Bernalillo County will pay for upgrades and renovations at the UNM North Golf Course to the tune of $1.5 million in what could potentially keep the course open for another 25 years.

The county commission on Tuesday voted unanimously on an agreement with UNM in which the county would fund the golf course from its open-space budget while the university would maintain it for at least a quarter century. The 80-acre course is located in the North Campus near the School of Law and is connected to some neighborhoods.

Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, who spearheaded the proposal and lives near the golf course, said it is used by thousands of county residents for walks, runs and golfing. She called the proposal “a fantastic opportunity to preserve the last best open space in the urban core of the county,” according to a video recording of Tuesday’s meeting.

UNM, however, still has to agree to the commitment, although some regents have expressed support.

Regents President Jack Fortner said he supports the proposal and will submit it to the regents’ finance committee, on which three regents serve.

“There’s a way to make the golf course more attractive for the multi-use it has, and at the same time be consistent with longer-term plans,” Fortner said.

Regent Jamie Koch said he would also be open to an agreement, but so far doesn’t know too much about it because it hasn’t gone before the board yet.

“If the county and possibly the city wants to come up and lease that property, I wouldn’t have any disagreement with it, but I just would have to see the terms,” Koch said. “I think there needs to be some discussion.”

County commissioners on Tuesday also expressed support for the funding, which would pay for a new irrigation system, tree stock remediation and upgrading, and new grass seeding, path maintenance and facility upgrades.

A new irrigation system would help save about 25 million gallons of water a year, Stebbins has said.

What’s more, the agreement would be a one-time purchase of an easement with no recurring costs.

Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham said she’s been spending time on the course most of her life, and that she learned to play golf with her father there.

“I do think it’s a treasure in the heart of the city that we really don’t talk about in the context of open space,” she said.

But UNM golf courses have been a source of money woes for the university for years. It’s been the Championship golf course, near the city’s airport, that has lost the most money.

Both golf courses have a $2.4 million budget and reported an annual loss of $521,000 during the 2011 fiscal year, according to the budget report.

In 2007, UNM president David Schmidly proposed developing the north golf course into a retirement community, but eventually abandoned the plan.

Regent Don Chalmers, who chairs the finance committee, said UNM doesn’t have any plans for commercial use of the golf course.

He said he is open to the idea of the partnership Bernalillo county, although it would have to be closely vetted.

“Well we can’t just give university property away, but at the same time I know… (Stebbins’) motives are in the right direction and I certainly have a lot of respect for her,” Chalmers said.