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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Roskelley Wants Greens Fees To Be Greener Commissioner Seeks Increase, Says County Courses Too Much Of A Bargain

It’s no secret - particularly after last month’s edition of Golf Digest magazine - that Spokane County’s public courses are among the nation’s best bargains.

In fact, they’re too good, County Commissioner John Roskelley said.

Two weeks into the job, Roskelley ignited his first firestorm Wednesday by urging a $2.50 increase in greens fees for county residents, to $16.

Eighteen-hole rounds on the county’s three courses would cost non-residents $20 instead of $18, while seniors would pay $12 instead of $9.50.

By comparison, fees on the city of Spokane’s four courses range from about $14 to $16.50.

Roskelley wants a dollar from each round funneled back to the parks department for, among other things, swimming pool repairs.

“Golf is a recreation,” said Roskelley, who expects a war with golfers over his proposal. “It’s a recreation for the wealthy. We have never funded our parks properly.”

The county’s citizen golf advisory committee recommends only a $1 increase in greens fees, primarily to pay for $50,000 worth of computerized cash registers to track who plays and for how much.

Commissioners delayed any decision until after a public hearing that will be scheduled for the third week of January. The forum will be devoted exclusively to the golf-fee issue and is expected to be contentious.

“I’ll be wearing my asbestos underwear,” said Commissioner Steve Hasson.

Hasson didn’t say whether he supports a fee increase, but balked at the idea of diverting golf revenues to parks.

Bob Scott, the pro at Liberty Lake, said the parks spending is the sticking point because golfers already pay for parks through taxes.

Scott also noted that while Spokane County is a “golfing mecca as far as price,” the county’s three courses pay for themselves.

If they were sold to private enterprise, Scott said, greens fees probably would double.

Jim Kearney, chairman of the golf advisory committee, predicts plenty of rancor.

“I think you’d stir up a lot of people,” he said. “The price of golf is probably sacred to some people.”

Golf Digest, a national publication with 1-1/2 million readers, recently rated Spokane County the country’s fifth best golfing destination for public courses.

The magazine singled out two county courses - MeadowWood and Hangman Valley - by awarding them four and 3-1/2 stars respectively, for price and quality.

Of MeadowWood, the seven-year-old lay-out near Liberty Lake, the magazine said:

“Don’t tell anyone about this one, too good to be true.”

Golf Digest also awarded a “Great Value award” to the city’s Indian Canyon course.

“They’re not only a great value, but a steal,” Roskelley quipped.

He noted that it costs $11.35 just for maintenance every time a golfer plays a round on a county course. Since seniors now pay $9.50, he said, all golfers subsidize them. When seniors buy season passes and play a few hundred rounds, their costs are reduced to about $2 for 18 holes, Roskelley said.

He also said some tournaments are subsidized by golfers.

For example, Labor Day’s Pro Classic tournament that drew 20 senior tour professionals cost taxpayers about $12,000 because MeadowWood was shut down nearly two days to the general public.

Toby Steward, tournament director, said the money “is a very small price to pay” to host an event that drew 11,000 spectators and approximately $350,000 in economic benefits to the community.

Roskelley’s plan is to end subsidies, beef up the county parks system and send an extra $1.50 back to the golf courses for maintenance, the computerized cash registers and to buy more land for future courses.

The county’s internal auditor, Vicky Dalton, recently recommended the county automate its cash registers because there is no tracking system now.

Last July, professionals who contract to run the county’s three courses also were told to stop the alleged practice of letting a few county managers play for free, officials said.

, DataTimes