On Oct. 21, in Mulligan’s Golf and Games, the president of Save Mulligans, Julie Holbrook, happily announced the results of the group’s survey that it posted in the September issue of the South Jordan Journal.

The survey posed three questions to residents and nonresidents, asking if they wanted to preserve the golf and games center, if they wanted to see the city develop the land or if they’d like to see the city develop a portion of Mulligan’s and use the rest of the land as an open park.

“We had an outstanding response,” Holbrook said. “Over 94 percent of the results from residents are in favor of keeping Mulligan’s.”

A mere 1.85 percent of respondents wanted Mulligan’s to be sold and developed, and 4.56 percent of the residents would like to see some of the land developed. The numbers from nonresidents were similar except for the question of developing the golf course. The responses were higher at 5.88 percent.

“We did receive feedback from all over the city,” Holbrook said. 

However, Save Mulligans will not be presenting the survey results to the city council anytime soon. 

“They don’t want to hear from us so we don’t go anymore,” Holbrook said. “We’ve not been invited to the table for a year and a half now.”

Funding for the questionnaire came from donations to Save Mulligans which is now a nonprofit organization. The cost of the survey was $1,250. 

“We’ll now just hold on to our numbers and wait until the city’s survey results come out in order to compare them,” Holbrook said. 

Earlier this fall, the city hired Y2 Analytics to conduct focus groups in order to gather its own data to put on its survey. City council members also gave the firm their own suggestions for the survey, which has been emailed out to 500 random registered South Jordan voters. 

“One of the topics I suggested Y2 put on the survey is whether our residents want to use a tax increase to fix it [Mulligan’s] up,” Councilmember Chuck Newton said. “That question wasn’t on the Save Mulligans survey. Our survey is a truly representative sample of South Jordan.”

Newton said that the city survey is a scientific one that will pose more questions to residents, therefore giving the city a better idea of how to move forward with the prized parcel of land.

“Save Mulligans’ survey was self-selective,” he said. “Only those who wanted to send their vote back did so, and they had to add their personal information on it.”

Holbrook responded sharply to Newton’s remark.

“Save Mulligans has never claimed the ‘survey’ was scientific,” she said. “It was an avenue for everyone to voice their opinion.”

The city has also produced an information video about Mulligan’s and ideas for its future, which can be viewed on the city website.

Although she thinks the video seems more like “a political propaganda ploy,” Holbrook isn’t worried. She and the members of Save Mulligans are ready to move forward and try to use all survey information to their advantage in saving the golf course.

“We’ve got a great team to do what it takes to save this valuable piece of land,” she said.

Holbrook is certain that Save Mulligans will be able to secure their objective to keep Mulligan’s alive.