How the Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course Became the New Lake Lure Green Space
The Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course was subsidized with Lake Lure taxpayer funds for many years, peaking in 2021 at $106K per year. The previous Town contract stipulated that the subsidy should be phased out over time, but the subsidy continued to grow. The family-owned business did a wonderful job maintaining the course, but they reported to Town Council that they simply could not change the business model to eliminate the subsidy.
The continued subsidy of the municipal golf course was very problematic for our Town. Town leadership has been continuously working with lawmakers at the County, State, and Federal levels for financial assistance to help pay for our critical infrastructure needs, including the Wastewater Systems and Dam Replacement. It became very clear that the Town of Lake Lure could not ethically request taxpayer money from North Carolina State residents and U.S. citizens at large while appropriating local taxpayer money to subsidize a municipal golf course. The continued golf course operation was undermining Town's arguments that Lake Lure residents - in good faith - were doing everything possible locally to pay for Town infrastructure as we reached out for State and Federal Assistance.
The strategy is working. The monies saved at the golf course, combined with other Town operational efficiencies, have bolstered an infrastructure reserve fund that is being used to match state and Federal grant money as required by State and Federal statutes. This year, the Town has secured $24.5 million dollars of state grants and $12.5 million dollars of secured loans due in large part to building confidence with our lawmakers that Lake Lure is a good investment. These funds are being utilized for the Lake Lure Dam replacement project and the sewer system replacement projects.
In addition, many Lake Lure residents have reported that they are thrilled to use the new green space area for walking and enjoying the natural beauty. By public record, an overwhelming majority of former golf course users were non-Lake Lure residents.
The Town Leadership understands the nostalgic nature of the golf course, but tough decisions have had to be made to ensure the vitality of the Lake for generations to come. Town Council is protecting the natural beauty of our community and we welcome everyone to enjoy the new green space.
We hope this overview helps provide a greater understanding of the difficult decisions that were made as it relates to the Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course.
