LA Councilman Proposes Tax on Private Golf Courses

Private golf land is the thing here — not golf as a sport, but huge, members-only tracts sitting inside one of the country’s most expensive cities. Los Angeles Councilmember Adrin Nazarian moved on May 8 to start putting a new parcel tax on the November 3 ballot that would hit private country clubs, golf courses, and similar recreational clubs inside city limits. (aol.com) The pitch is simple: these properties occupy enormous amounts of land, serve relatively few people, and could be made to throw off a lot more money for the city. Nazarian says the measure could help fund city services and capital projects at a moment when L.A. is scrambling for revenue. (dailynews.com) ### What is he actually proposing? The proposal is a parcel tax of $4 per square foot on large, private recreational membership-based clubs — basically the kind of private golf and country club properties that take up vast acreage in wealthy neighborhoods. This is not in effect yet. The motion starts the process for a city ballot measure, so voters would still have to approve it in the November 3, 2026 election. ### Why golf courses? Because they are the cleanest example of the imbalance Nazarian is trying to highlight. Private golf courses use huge parcels in a city that is short on housing, park access, and public money. The political argument is that these clubs benefit from land and tax rules that no ordinary homeowner could dream of getting, while the city around them struggles to pay for basics. (aol.com) That fairness angle is doing most of the work here. ### How much money are we talking about? Nazarian’s office is putting the number at up to $250 million a year. That is a big figure for a single local tax aimed at a narrow slice of property owners. (aol.com) The catch is that it is still a projection, not booked revenue, and the final ballot language would matter a lot — especially how broadly “membership-based recreational facilities” gets defined and what exemptions, if any, get added. ### Why now? Because L.A. is in one of those periods where every weird corner of the tax base starts looking newly interesting. The city has been juggling budget pressure and infrastructure needs, and this proposal gives elected officials a way to frame a new tax as a hit on elite private space rather than on ordinary residents. (dailynews.com) Politically, that is much easier to sell. ### Is this only about taxes? Not really. It is also part of a broader fight over what golf-course land should be for. Earlier this year, the City Council was already dealing with a separate fight over whether golf courses could be treated more like “vacant” land for housing purposes under city rules. (aol.com) That tells you this is bigger than one revenue idea — golf land in L.A. has become a proxy battle over housing, scarcity, and who gets the city’s best acreage. ### What happens next? If the council advances the motion, the next step is for city lawyers to draft the resolution and ordinance needed to place it on the ballot. (hoodline.com) Then the fight shifts from City Hall procedure to campaign politics — with private clubs arguing they are being singled out, and supporters arguing that is exactly the point. ### Why does this matter beyond L.A.? Because cities everywhere are running the same thought experiment: if land is scarce and budgets are tight, why should low-intensity private luxury uses get special treatment? Los Angeles is just asking the question in a particularly vivid way — by putting a dollar figure on every square foot of fairway. (cityclerk.lacity.org) ### Bottom line? This is an early-stage ballot push, not a done deal. But it is a real sign that in Los Angeles, private golf courses are no longer just leisure properties — they are becoming fiscal and political targets. (aol.com) (hoodline.com) (dnyuz.com)