City staff recommend closing Municipal golf course

This could be the last season for Thunder Bay's Municipal golf course, as a city-owned facility.

To help trim expenses, city staff is now recommending council approve the closure of the course this fall.

Thunder Bay resident Rod Walberg, who has a membership at all three city-operated courses, said losing Municipal golf course might force him to join a private golf club instead.

"I have a hard decision to make if they close this because it's nice to come here and you know, getting a little bit older, it's harder to walk the other courses and stuff," Walberg said. "So, I might move, I might go somewhere else because of that."

His golfing partner, Johnny Munson, said hes disappointed by the pending closure.

"I'd like to see them keep it open," he said.

Munson said he thinks closing down the nine-hole Municipal golf course won't necessarily improve business at the other two city-owned 18-hole golf courses Strathcona and Chapples.

"Now, if they can't play here, and they can't play Strathcona or Chapples because [theyre] too long, they're going to go to Breukleman's or [a privately-run course] like that."

Walberg said he thinks it's wrong to cut costs by picking on golfers.

If council approves the closure plan Monday night, administration said it can have the details sorted out by September.