Sports

Encino-Balboa Golf Course to Receive New Electric Cart Fleet

Local municipal course expects 120 new golf carts Thursday.

The Encino-Balboa golf course is among five municipal courses in Los Angeles that expect to receive new electric golf carts this week to replace aging vehicles. In all, 500 new carts have been purchased by the city for its 18-hole courses, 120 of which will go to the Encino-Balboa facility.

Along with purchasing the new carts, the city took over its golf-cart rentals on Jan. 1 as part of an effort to boost revenue and keep the department's unionized workforce employed.

“It’s just as easy for the city to operate the golf fleet [as] hiring a concessionaire,” said James Ward, the city's director of golf operations. “Operating the golf cart fleet is another way to make sure we’re in the black and operate successfully, because this year has been very difficult.”

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Of Los Angeles’ 13 golf courses, the city will operate new carts at the Encino-Balboa, Woodley Lakes, Hansen Dam, Griffith Park and Rancho Park courses. Shipments of the electric golf carts are going to the Rancho Park complex on Tuesday, to Griffith Park on Wednesday and to Encino-Balboa on Thursday.

During the past six months that the city has been operating golf-cart rentals, it has been using the old fleet of 340 carts, 80 of which are at the Encino course. Ward said the stunted fleet was running out on Saturdays, forcing golfers to walk the courses.

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“It's about time they got rid of those old pieces of junk,” said Sherman Oaks Patch editor and local golfer Doug Kriegel. “They would often break down way out on the back side of the course."

Encino-Balboa golf course manager Bob Cavanaugh said he is expecting his shipment of 120 new carts from the manufacturer, Club Car, to arrive at the course by Thursday. The 80 old carts, which have been leased from the same company for four years, will be removed.

"It’s been difficult when there were not enough carts to satisfy a huge customer base," Cavanaugh added. "It’s going to make a huge difference about everyone’s enjoyment of the course."

With all of the changes to the municipal golf courses, staying in the black has been a concern, especially for the Sepulveda Basin courses. The Encino Municipal Golf Course was closed for more than six weeks last winter due to flooding, and the facility's personnel grappled with the cost of irrigation repairs, cleanup and restoration.

“The golf division went off the city’s general fund one year ago, as of June,” Ward said. “The courses don’t take any city funds to operate, and the division pays for employee salaries, water, electricity and utilities.”

Despite the economic stress, the golf cart rental fees will remain the same, Ward said. As soon as all of the courses have the new carts, the city is expected to offer a rental discount for two to three weeks.

“We’re going to give everyone $5 off on the carts because of lack of ability to use the old ones, because of the inconvenience, because of the frustration,” Ward said. “A lot of people have been frustrated."


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