MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The pending closure of the VA Golf Course for future medical clinics for veterans disappoints golfer Francis Koti.
“I’m going to have to look for somewhere else to play,” said Koti, who’s been playing at the 9-hole course about twice a week for two years.
Koti appreciates the affordable price of $8 per round for him and the proximity that’s a short drive from his Murfreesboro home. The price is $7 for kids and those aged 55 and up.
“It is a good thing if it is something that is being developed for the VA, but obviously I’m disappointed,” Koti said.
Koti is among the many golfers who enjoy playing at the VA course off in the north Murfreesboro area. The course had 19,350 rounds of golf completed in the previous fiscal year that ended June 30. That’s a decrease from the 23,334 in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
The golf course is part of Alvin C. York VA Medical Center campus. The VA has leased the 88-acre course for the Murfreesboro government to operate since 1987. The city announced recently that the course would close by Dec. 31 because the VA has plans for the property.
VA expects increase in enrollment
The large campus is part of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System that’s seeing a rising need for clinical health care services for veterans, spokesman John Anderson said.
“Our team has been exploring all available options,” Anderson said. “We expect a 19 percent increase in veteran enrollment in Rutherford County (in the) coming years.”
Anderson provided the following statements from Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Executive Director Dan Dücker about VA plans for the 88-acre golf course property: “In order to be prepared for this increase and to better serve Middle Tennessee Veterans, we are proposing that much of the current golf course space be included in our plans to expand clinical operations for our long-term residents. TVHS is exploring opportunities to increase adaptive sports activities on the Alvin C. York campus to better serve our Veterans in Rutherford and the surrounding counties.”
Ducker said his staff is currently working on plans for the new use of that land, which requires approval and funding from U.S. Veterans Affairs and Congress.
“As we have for decades, TVHS will continue to work with the city of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation with plans for the space and what Veterans can expect in the local area,” said Ducker, adding that his staff looks forward to sharing more…
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