Council Passes Fee Increase at Brookside Golf Course

Golfers who frequent Brookside Golf Course near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will have to pay a little more money to play in Pasadena.

On Monday, the City Council unanimously voted to up regular fees to $50 during ordinary days. Fees for tournaments and shotguns will increase to $90, including golf carts.

The previous fee was $44 per golfer. According to a staff report, last year’s golf fee adjustments resulted in a revenue increase of about $150,000 at Brookside.

The course was closed on March 19 due to the COVID-19 emergency. Since it reopened on May 8, rounds and activity at the golf course have been at their highest level in eight years. Given its current financial situation, the RBOC said increasing fees to respond to changing market conditions “is optimal for the organization.”

“The initial goal is to achieve approximately a three percent increase to the green fees,” the RBOC said in the report. “This will bring us closer to market prices and help to offset Brookside’s estimated 1.5 percent annual expense increase for water use, labor, etc. It should be noted that the initial rate increase will not be a uniform increase across all rate categories. Instead each rate will be evaluated, now and in the future, as it compares with the rates of the competition in the market and changed accordingly.”

The RBOC also cited other municipal golf properties in Los Angeles County have begun offsetting rising expenses with increasing revenues through fee adjustments. Compared to most of them, Brookside’s fees, implemented since last year, are “underpriced” in some categories, according to the report.

It also cited Brookside’s direct competition in the area, Griffith Park, has been charging $50 for golf before 9 a.m. on weekdays and holidays and is able to adjust rates on demand.

“To stay competitive, Brookside Golf Club should also be under a similar structure,” the RBOC report said. “Under this model green fee rates will have the flexibility to go up or down based on direct competition without delay. For example, if our competition raises their green fee by $1, we can act quickly (through the RBOC Golf Committee) and decide in real time if such an increase makes sense for Brookside.”

Another recommendation included in the RBOC report is to add a $1 Capital fee to each green fee, which is expected to generate around $125,000 to $135,000 annually in additional funds, depending on the golf course availability due to events. Those funds could help restore about 50 percent of the annual Capital funds spent on the golf course property, the report said.

“It should be noted that while rates were simplified in Fall of 2019 additional funds were put into cart path improvements, additional fertilizer and rebuilding a green,” the RBOC said. “Having a funding source for future capital projects will help to show our customers that we are continuing to invest in the property.

The RBOC, which operates the Rose Bowl Stadium as well, said having the ability to adjust golf rates to Brookside’s competition could generate an additional $135,000 annually.

The additional funds do not include additional food and beverage revenues or merchandise sales which would also help off-set rising maintenance costs and allow RBOC to pursue capital improvements gradually.