The hottest rumor going around the Torrey Pines golf courses lately has nothing to do with the U.S. Open next month.
Paul Spiegelman, a co-founder of the San Diego Municipal Golfers Alliance, said he has heard from city employees, who wish to remain anonymous, that the city is in talks with the owner of the Lodge at Torrey Pines, Bill Evans, about Evans taking over the golf operations at Torrey.
City Golf Manager Mark Woodward, who is leaving after the U.S. Open, said no such discussions have taken place, and Evans concurred.
“Nobody from the city has approached me,” said Evans, who acknowledged that he was advised of the rumors last week.
The buzz may have gone into high gear because the top two candidates in the upcoming mayoral election, current Mayor Jerry Sanders and challenger Steve Francis, have said they would consider outsourcing golf operations to private contractors.
Once again, Torrey is part of a political football game. Spiegelman and the SDMGA have endorsed Francis for mayor after getting a one-hour meeting with the candidate and an aide recently. The SDMGA, which gathered more than 1,300 signatures in 2006 to oppose the Sanders golf business plan that ultimately passed, also has endorsed candidate Sherri Lightner in District 1, which includes La Jolla and Torrey Pines.
In a letter last week to the SDMGA, Lightner wrote, “I want you to know that, if elected, I will do all in my power to make certain that the operational control of the courses remains in the hands of the city.” Lightner later added, “Because I want to keep Torrey Pines affordable and accessible for San Diegans, I will also oppose construction projects like a new clubhouse or tournament support building.”
Rumors about Evans taking over the operations at Torrey Pines have been floating around for years, and Evans said he would consider managing the courses if the city offered. He said he went to city representatives more than three years ago with a proposal to manage Torrey Pines through the completion of the U.S. Open. He said his primary concern at that time was to get the proposed new clubhouse constructed and to ensure the South Course would be ready in time for the Open.
“I was quite scared the house wouldn't be ready for the party,” Evans said.
The proposed $12 million clubhouse was shelved in Sanders' golf plan that was adopted in June 2006, but Evans said he believes it would still be of great benefit to San Diegans. He also said he believes he is the right businessman to manage Torrey.
“I don't have any love for the game of golf,” Evans said. “I think that's an advantage because I won't be distracted by it. I'd do what is, business-wise, good for the city.”
Spiegelman contends Evans' operation of Torrey Pines would be a conflict of interest because it would allow him access to tee times for hotel guests that he doesn't now have. Citing Evans specifically on the SDMGA Web site's endorsement of Francis, Spiegelman wrote, “If we lose control of the tee sheets at Torrey Pines, it will be the death knell of municipal golf at Torrey.”
Spiegelman also worries that an aggressive business model by Evans would translate into high prices for locals that would eliminate some from being able to afford to play.
Evans countered that his operation of Torrey Pines would fall under the same parameters and audits that are now in place. He said he would seek to adhere to local access policies while maximizing revenue from visitors.
Evans also said he would push to have more of the golf operations revenue put back into the general fund, because he believes residents' rounds are being subsidized at Torrey Pines.
“There is a responsibility to run the golf courses in the most profitable manner we can,” Evans said. “Golf is such an island among Park and Rec. It doesn't benefit the overall general citizens of San Diego. A large percentage of the owners of the golf course will never play golf.
“I know that's not popular with the golf community. It's heresy. But it's really sad that local golfers are playing on a subsidy while we're closing pools and rec centers.”
As for the U.S. Open, Evans said he is “sick of hearing that it benefits me more than anybody else.”
While he acknowledged that the Lodge and Torrey Pines courses will get worldwide publicity during the Open, he also said only 6 percent of his hotel business is golf-related, and that he contributed to the Friends of Torrey Pines fund that paid for the renovation of the South Course while also giving up more than $4 million in revenue from hotel rooms, hospitality areas, and food and beverage rights to the U.S. Golf Association during the Open.
Evans would not comment about the possibility of striking a similar deal with the USGA for future U.S. Opens here.
“The U.S. Open has not been a windfall for us,” Evans said. “That's OK. We're not complaining. It's just that it bothers me when people repetitively think we've done this for our own special interests.
“This benefits all citizens. This is a worldwide event that they'll be talking about in the pubs of England. Maybe those people will want to visit. Maybe they'll move a business to San Diego. Not everything people do is motivated by greed.”
Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
