MOORHEAD — A Moorhead City Council member wants discussions about municipal golf course funding to be on the table, but says she has not called for either of the city’s two golf courses to close.
Moorhead City Council member Deb White brought up the issue of funding for Moorhead’s two city-owned golf courses during a Moorhead City Council workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The city of Moorhead routinely transfers funds from the tax levy-supported park fund to support golf course operations.
After the meeting, Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson called out White in a now-deleted Facebook post, saying that White proposed closing one of the courses.
During Tuesday’s meeting, which focused on the 2027 budget, White suggested the council look at a proposed $110,000 transfer from the park fund to pay for the golf courses.
“We’re hearing from a lot of people that things are tough, and maybe this isn’t the year to subsidize golf,” White said during the meeting.
Moorhead City Council Member Deb White speaks during the Moorhead City Council meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
The costs to operate the two golf courses are higher than the revenues generated by the golf courses. The golf course budget for 2026 is around $2.4 million. The budget included a $395,000 transfer from the park fund to help cover costs.
Staff are still working on the overall golf course budget for 2027, according to city of Moorhead Finance Director Jenica Flanagan.
White’s suggestion was met with opposition from Carlson. In the deleted Facebook post, Carlson said White “suggested we consider closing at least one of our golf courses as a way to reduce costs.”
Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson speaks at the Moorhead City Council meeting on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
During the meeting Tuesday, White did not suggest closing a golf course. Instead, she called for the council to look at whether it is sustainable for the city to have two 18-hole golf courses.
“Should we look at things, like should it be one 18- and one nine-hole?” White said during the meeting. “But the fact that we haven’t been allowed to even have those conversations is frustrating.”
Carlson said she decided to make the Facebook post after White has repeatedly brought up the topic of golf course funding.
“There are close to 35,000 people that use our golf courses every single year, and I think that they deserve to be notified about the fact that this was a topic of discussion,” Carlson said.
Since 2017, staff have reduced the golf courses’ need for transferred funds, Carlson said.
In the deleted post, Carlson also claimed White “previously raised the idea of closing a golf course and using the property for low-income housing.” White told The Forum she has never proposed closing a golf course and using the land for low-income housing.
“I have never once said that, and it was really troubling,” White said.
During a City Council workshop in March, White did bring up the existing housing around the back nine holes of The Meadows golf course, but made no mention of low-income housing.
“Say that we were to take a look at taking off the back nine, that could be sold for development, right?” White asked during the March meeting.
After Carlson deleted her initial Facebook post, she addressed the deletion in a second Facebook post. She said she took the post down due to Minnesota’s open meeting law, not because of anything stated in the post.
“When multiple Council members begin weighing in on or discussing City business outside of an official meeting – even on social media – we have to be careful not to inadvertently create an Open Meeting Law issue,” Carlson wrote. “We were getting to the point where participation by even one more Council member could have raised that concern.”
During Tuesday’s discussion, White was not suggesting the city close a golf course and was not pushing for a specific decision, she told The Forum. White said the suggestion to reconsider transferring money for the golf courses in 2027 stemmed from a conversation with a constituent, who emphasized that the city needs to separate its needs and wants.
“It doesn’t mean that I don’t value something, but it means that if it comes down to it, we sometimes have to make some difficult choices,” White said.
White, who represents Moorhead’s Ward 3, is up for reelection in the Nov. 3 election. Carlson, whose term ends this year, is not running for reelection.
Ingrid Harbo joined The Forum in March 2024.
Harbo reports on Moorhead and Clay County news.
Readers can reach Harbo at 701-241-5526 or iharbo@forumcomm.com.