BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Not even a barrage of atmospheric rivers this winter could solve the water problems that have created new hazards at the Buena Vista Golf Course near Taft.
The operators of the Buena Vista Golf Course are facing a big increase in water costs that could eventually result in the golf course's closure. Club pro Chad Sorensen spoke about the challenge of keeping the course running on a limited budget.
"We are doing all we can and we have people screaming at us that we're not doing enough," said Sorensen.
According to Sorensen, he and his small staff of workers are wearing every hat in the pro shop to keep the course on the county's westside open.
"I'm owner, operator, golf cart mechanic if I have to be," said Sorensen about the various jobs he has to take on. "Tell you what, the only one I don't want is what my superintendent does. He works his butt off trying to keep this thing going. I don't know how my guy does that."
From no longer cutting the grass to not trimming the trees and cutting back on watering, Sorensen says he is doing anything he can think of to cut costs.
"We cut about as far as we can and we're trying to keep the golf course looking good," said Sorensen. "We've done a pretty good job. People like playing out here. It's just not close enough to town for people to be regulars out here."
According to Sorensen, the course nearly shut down in 2019 when the rounds of golf dropped from a high of 80,000 a year to around 20,000. At this time, Buena Vista Golf Course averages about 32,000, the lowest of the three public courses run by the county.
To top it off, Sorensen says the cost to keep the greens green is about to skyrocket.
"[It's] north of a half million dollars a year in a few years to water the golf course," explained Sorensen. "When we bring in about $1.5 [million] and you throw out a half million just to water it, you kind of see the writing on the wall."
While standing on the 10th green, there is a misconception when players see the aqueduct and the hundreds or thousands of acres under water. All of that water, however, will not solve any of the course's problems.
Greg Hammett, General Manager of the West Kern Water District, talked about the water rate increase in March. The West Kern Water District provides water to the golf course, along with customers from Maricopa to McKittrick and all points in between.
"[It has been] about 11 years since the last rate increase," said Hammett.
Hammett recognizes the changes that Sorensen is making to reduce water usage but says that he is also being hit with increased costs.
"Over the last 10 or 11 years, the cost of materials, labor," explained Hammett. "Especially last year or so, where you got supply chain issues, pipes and valves, different equipment that we've got to purchase to keep the system running."
Former Kern County Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop was working on possible solutions before his departure was announced. Sorensen says that he has also reached out to a longtime friend, Supervisor Zack Scrivner, for help.
"The only problem is it just takes a long time to move a boulder up a hill," said Sorensen. "With the amount of money going out with the water bill, now especially, that boulder is coming down pretty fast."
Any cosmetic changes to save water, such as converting to a desert landscape or finding another water source, aren't financially viable, according to Sorensen.
"They're expecting us to be Bakersfield Country Club or Stockdale Country Club or someone else or something. We don't have the money they have," said Sorensen. "The county is doing as much as possible. They're moving fairly fast now. Hopefully, we can find a solution."
If Buena Vista Golf Course does eventually shut down, it would join a long list of courses that couldn't survive in Kern County. That list includes Valley Grande Golf Course, Sycamore Canyon Golf Course in Arvin, Wasco Valley Rose Golf Course, Horsethief in Tehachapi, and the Kern Valley Golf Course in Kernville.
