Affordable Pacific Grove Golf Links could be in peril if the California Assembly passes proposed legislation to convert municipal courses into housing and open space. Photo: Michael Macor, Getty Images
A bill in California’s Assembly garnered attention from the golf community like no other bill ever introduced in a state legislature. It galvanized national organizations such as the USGA and PGA of America to join the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the National Golf Foundation in fighting what the California golf community tagged “The Public Golf Endangerment Act.”
Why all the fuss? Why such focused unity from an industry that generally does not weigh in heavily on public-policy matters? It was about a bill numbered 1910, authored by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), entitled, “Conversion of Publicly Owned Golf Courses to Affordable Housing.” Its guts are ...