Council Report: Sycamore Creek Golf Course is about to putt out

Soon, a golfer will make the last shot ever at Sycamore Creek Golf Course. Whether it’s a putt, a chip, or even a hole-in-one, it will mark the end of the course’s run of more than four decades as part of the family of City of Fort Worth public courses.

The Fort Worth City Council Tuesday night approved a resolution authorizing City Manager David Cooke to develop and implement a plan for the closure and repurposing of the course into a Community Park. The course will close on or before Oct. 1, which coincides with the start of the 2019-20 Fiscal Year.

The decision to close the course followed a unanimous recommendation of a 16-member study committee, along with the consensus of four neighborhood associations and a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Board of Directors. The 66-acre, nine-hole course with two sets of tee boxes has been a part of Fort Worth since 1977. 

The course was already due to close at the start of October for up to two and a half years for sanitary sewer line repair and course restoration.

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A major problem with the course is that it lies in a Federal Emergency Management Agency floodway.

District 8 Councilwoman Kelly Allen Gray, in whose district Sycamore Creek Golf Course lies, said she is sad to see the course go away.

“That is the municipal course my son learned to play on with his dad,” she said. “But I have to be realistic and realize the needs outweigh the finances available to keep it sustainable.”

The course underwent a $2.58 million renovation in 1992-93. However, a study shows that only about 12,500 rounds are played there each year, well below the estimated break-even mark of 24,000.

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Since 1994, the course has a net income of minus $6,940,643. There is also $1.56 million in known deferred maintenance, including a 2018 clubhouse assessment of $515,459.

Using the closing of Z Boaz Golf Course in 2012 as an example, officials said repurposing would provide other uses, such as a playground, bike trails, and soccer fields.

“I think it will be a fabulous addition to our parks system,” Gray said. “We don’t know what it’s entire potential is, but we do think it will be a great addition.”

Clark added that with Sycamore closing, nearby Meadow Brook, which will likely pick up the brunt of those who regularly played Sycamore, needs some renovations and upgrades.

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“We can’t close Sycamore and not do anything to Meadowbrook,” she said. “We can’t just say it has good bones. I have good bones, but I still need to drink milk to get my calcium.”

The closing will leave Fort Worth with three municipal courses, Meadowbrook, Rockwood, and Pecan Valley. Rockwood underwent a $5.1 million renovation between 2015-17.