I see Prince George city council is looking at selling off the Pine Valley Golf Centre. Looking at the numbers, they would be wise to sell.

According to the city’s core services review, selling the 40-acre golf course could generate $10 to $17 million in cash, along with $33,000 in annual operating savings. That doesn’t include an estimated $1.3 million bill coming in 2015 to refurbish the irrigation system.

There are a number of private golf courses in the city, including one located directly across the street from Pine Valley. No wonder rounds at Pine Valley are down to 12,880 a year. Interestingly, Pine Valley’s course fees are slightly higher than Alder Hills and Yellowhead Grove private courses.

Prince George should be reminded of the financial disasters municipal golf courses are causing in other communities.

Abbotsford recently made the decision to bail out their municipal golf course with a “one-time” $115,000 grant, but their business plan is predicated on magically improving the weather in the Fraser Valley. Mayors can do many things, but weather sorcery isn’t one.

Tiny West Shore (Vancouver Island) lost $23,000 on their Juan de Fuca course last year—and that’s with twice as many rounds played as Pine Valley.

Nearby Saanich is losing money hand over fist on its Cedar Hill golf course, closing the restaurant this year to shave off $98,000 in losses.

Thunder Bay and Winnipeg are both selling off courses. Thunder Bay saved its taxpayers $4 million over 20 years.

Across Canada, golf revenues are down. Industry experts say there are as much as one-third too many courses to support the players. Now is a good time to get out of the business, and back into the core services taxpayers expect from a municipal government.