Rebecca Johnson wants Thunder Bay out of the golf business

As Thunder Bay city council prepares for its final budget meeting on Monday night, one councillor plans to ask for a reduction in golf services.

"Municipalities across the country — not only in Canada but in the United States — are no longer supporting it,” said Coun. Rebecca Johnson.

“They're divesting themselves of it. So, Thunder Bay needs to seriously look at another golf course, if not two. But, I will go for one at this point."

Council agreed to shut down and sell the former Municipal Golf Course at the end of 2013.

Johnson says she will ask her fellow councillors to look at divesting themselves of another city-owned golf course Monday night.

The head of the National Golf Course Owners Association in Canada said it's unusual for a city the size of Thunder Bay to have two municipally run courses.

"We would make the ... soft recommendation, generally, that [these golf courses are] better sold or contracted out,” Jeff Calderwood said.

“The reality of today, and I think into the future, that that's a more appropriately run thing by private enterprise."

That is exactly what Johnson wants to hear.

"I would say, approximately three years ago the number of public-supported golf courses have decreased because golf is not as popular sport as it has been in the past,” she said.