Why Cities & Towns Should Invest $$ In Their Municipal Golf Courses By Fred Altvater In nearly every town throughout America, municipal golf courses are under loved and suffer silently in poor condition. Local real estate developers drool at the prospect of buying up the land on the cheap to create strip malls and condos. While city administrators spend millions for roundabouts, plus grant tax abatements like they are passing out candy at Halloween, a potential source of sustainable revenue is actually draining dollars from the city’s coffers. IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE THIS WAY!! Municipal golf courses are perfect for junior golfers, who are willing to put down their smart phones and tablets to venture outside but need a place to hang out. Golf is the perfect answer. We hear story after story of golf professionals, who relished their early golfing years. Their parents dropped them off at the local public golf course on their way to work and the junior golfers spent the day, dreaming of hitting shots and sinking putts to win major championships. More women than ever are finding that golf is an excellent venue to exercise outdoors, socialize with friends and spend quality family time with their children and/or husband. They’re not all country club types and need a place to learn the game, practice, and play. How many men would like to play more golf, but find it difficult, due to a lack of quality public golf facilities in their area? One success story is the Winter Park 9 (WP9) in Orlando, Florida, which opened for play in 1914. A mere six years ago, WP9 was hemorrhaging money and lost $250,000. The city committed to a renovation by Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns, which brought the course up to modern-day standards and it is now a joy to play. At only 2,800 yards from the tips, but with large, contoured greens, it presents a challenge for golfers of every skill level. It is one of my favorite courses to play and I look forward to every visit. Read about our most recent visit to WP9 in the March 2021 issue: https://ohiogolfjournal. com/2021/March/34/index.html. Ohio Golf Journal Opinion
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