Municipal Golf Courses

[iacas]

From

here :

Only in Erie can a golf course lose money. The city owns three golf courses - Joseph C Martin aka Glennwood, Erie and Downing. Because of a renovation project at the Erie Golf Club, there are only 14 playable holes. Downing is the only one that is doing well. The mayor and council are debating what to do. Joseph C Martin (The Erie Zoo could acquire the course as they are adjoining properties) and Erie could be sold, an authority to run them could be created or they could lease them out. If you can't buy beer and without a place to sit down and eat, they'll continue to lose money.

J.C. Martin is a nine-hole dog track. Lots of little par-3s and short little holes. It's great for seniors and some inner-city kids, but it's really not a great course. Erie Golf Course was pretty bad too - bad little holes, wicked hard ground, etc. Downing isn't bad - they even have a sprinkler system.

How are the municipal golf courses in your town doing?

[NCGolfer]

How are the municipal golf courses in your town doing?

There are a few to mention in my area:

Winston-Lake: A prototypical muni course. Short, wicked and gimmicky. Very similar to Erie Golf Club. Reynolds Park: Not too bad. Still has the feel of a muni course, but at least playable. Oak Hollow: A Pete Dye course. Yes, that's right. A muni course designed by Dye. Very nice layout...the greens feel a bit old but it is not a bad track. Jamestown: Think Winston-Lake...ugh.

[mediaguru]

Depends on which municipality in our area (there are a few). One is doing well but the other bought a formerly private course for 17 million. They paid about 2x what they should have and they are losing their ass now.

[rckymtnglfr]

Most of the courses here in the Denver area are doing quite well. The privately owned public courses are raising prices so the munis stay packed. Almost all of them are well taken care of and some, Saddlerock in Aurora for one, have hosted some of the major local amateur and pro events. It's tough to get on some of them unless you are a resident since they give them an earlier call in time than non-residents.

[flap]

All muny golf courses on Long Island do well.Try getting a Tee Time at Bethpage on the Weekend some time.My town course Crab Meadow is allways packed.

[Rickins]

It's a bit ugly here (Macomb, Michigan).

I've read that we've got - had - more courses in the ten-mile radius around us than any other similar area in Michigan. Housing development is causing a sell-off. More money in houses and condos than the courses can bring in.

A favorite of my wife's and mine closed at the end of last season. Folks who had bought new homes around the course had paid a $30,000 premium to live adjacent to it. Think they got it stuffed "where the sun don't shine?"

Rick