The Porpoise Bay Golf and Country Club (formerly Sechelt Golf and Country Club), weather permitting, remains open - and for the time being, rounds are free.
As owners of the land, last week the District took over the operation, citing $191,331 in lease payments owned to them. Two leases were terminated with Sechelt Golf and Country Club (SGCC).
To help decide the District's next course of action, a meeting was held at the Seaside Centre Jan. 14 to discuss possible options.
"We are working through the process with staff and some volunteers to figure out what is the best way to operate it in the medium term, and by that I mean the next two or three months," Mayor John Henderson said at the Saturday afternoon meeting.
The suggestions and concerns raised will be forwarded to a newly established advisory committee, composed of golf experts, course operators, members and people who work in the financial sector. That committee will explore possible solutions, based on the recommendations of the community, and forward their findings to council.
"What we've got to do is take the time now to, whatever decisions we make, make the best ones," Henderson said.
It was standing-room only at the Seaside Centre as numerous residents came out to voice their opinion on the future of the course.
A running list of their suggestions was kept in order to give the advisory committee a starting point for its discussions.
One suggestion was to sell the land, a route that could see new ownership of the course and increased investment into the product being offered.
But many citizens and members of the course were concerned about the fees they had already paid for 2012.
"Whatever we have to do, the golf course will be open," Henderson assured those in attendance.
Since payments were made to SGCC and not the District, a lot of the concerns expressed had to deal with what would happen with that money.
One suggestion was to have residents write promissory notes in lieu of payments that would oblige them to turn over 2012 payments that might be recovered from SGCC to the District.
"They paid money to a company that no longer is in control of the golf course, so that's a very disappointing, frustrating situation for all of us," Henderson said. "We recognize that most of those people who paid have been long and loyal users of the golf course, and we're going to need to find a way to treat them fairly."
Another suggestion offered to protect the investments of golfers was to make recognition of 2012 dues a condition of a new lease or sale. The District recognizing receipts could also be a possibility.
Henderson added that he expects the restaurant could open in the near future.
"It's incumbent on us as council to be very public about what we're doing," Henderson said.
