The Village Greens Golf Course, a county-owned course, will close during November, December, January and February. The last day open for 2013 is Nov. 3. The course will re-open mid-March, 2014.

The closure is due to budget constraints, said Jim Dunwiddie, parks director for Kitsap County. Layoffs are included in this move.

“This decision to close was difficult,” he said. “Several factors were considered in reaching this decision in order to balance the parks department budgets for 2013 and 2014.”

During the winter months the golf course generates extremely low revenue, Dunwiddie said.

“The ongoing cost of staffing the golf shop staffed and course maintenance as well as the winter utility costs greatly exceed the revenue generated through keeping the course open,” he said.

In addition to closing during winter the course will also close on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“These are the days with the lightest use at Village Greens,” Dunwiddie said.

Current permanent staff working at the golf shop will be laid off. This move better aligns revenues with expenditures and assures a future for the facility. Current annual members will be given a partial refund.

The Village Greens Golf Course has operated as a financially, self-sufficient facility since the county regained management in 2009.

The course has operated as “taxpayer neutral” since that time. Revenue from the course needs to offset the operating and maintenance needed to run the facility.

“The county’s general fund is not a source of funds to subsidize the operation which results in these difficult decisions to reduce operational expenses,” Dunwiddie said.