Would Westport Golf Links be good for the community?

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the construction, operation and long-term impact of the proposed Scottish-style links golf course in Westport.

While designed by the same architect behind the celebrated Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the Oregon coast, this project raises serious questions about who it is truly meant to serve, and who may be left behind.

Let’s look at the profile of the average golfer, according to Morton Golf Management:

70% are male

Aged 54 and older

Own three cars

Net worth exceeds $700,000

14% of golfers have a net worth over $1 million

90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are golfers

This data paints a picture: the golf course is likely to cater to affluent mostly out-of-town visitors. At Bandon Dunes Golf Resort the green fees run about $375. If Westport’s course mirrors that price point, it will attract a similar elite clientele.

Will those visitors stay in Westport’s existing hotels and shop at local businesses — or will their time and money be spent at the resort and on resort amenities?

Let us not forget the weather. Bandon is in a so-called banana belt with mild temperate conditions year-round. Westport is not. Will high-end golfers flock here in rainy winter months, or will this project serve as a seasonal economic boost at best?

More importantly, what does this development mean for the people who live in Westport?

Will our first responders — the same people who kept our community running during the pandemic have access to the land like they do today?

Will residents still be able to hike, walk dogs, go mushroom hunting, or enjoy nature in this area?

Will the clientele coming into town cause our local stores to increase prices?

Will property taxes, insurance rates and rents increase?

Westport already suffers from a housing shortage. Will this make it worse?

If longtime residents are bought out, will they be able to buy comparable housing elsewhere?

The city may see increased tax revenue, but will that revenue be reinvested in public spaces, in upgrading the girl’s ball field, in more parks for our kids, in the skate park? Will they invest in support of the tourists like surfers we know we have now? Surfers come year-round! They are not seasonal.

Once the state park land is leased by Westport Golf Links, profit becomes the primary focus. That is just business. We must ask: is this the business Westport wants to be in?

The golf course may make money, even though other golf courses in our county have closed or changed their mission, one has closed because the last nine holes are underwater. The other changed because they were not generating enough revenue.

If the golf course makes money, there may be revenue that trickles down. Will it be enough revenue to sustain local businesses through Westport’s slow winter months? Or are we trading long-term community well being for short-term economic speculation?

Marsha Gonzalez

Westport