Golfers Can Afford Fee Hike
John Roskelley knew his proposed hike in golf greens fees would raise some hackles even before he got the hostile message from a Spokane business owner on his home answering machine.
The irate man said something about a tractor, something about where Roskelley’s head was stuck and had a few helpful suggestions about what he could do about it.
Clearly, golf - and how much people pay to play it - is somewhat of a sacred entity for some folks.
But Roskelley, who bravely suggested last week that Spokane County’s greens fees were too good a deal, has raised a valid point. And he has the best interests of the county as a whole in mind.
Greens fees on Spokane County’s three courses are 20 percent to 25 percent cheaper than the national average. Two of those courses - MeadowWood and Hangman Valley - were listed in Golf Magazine as four-star and three-and-a-half-star courses, respectively. Both earned a Great Value badge.
Now, some golfers would say, “That’s great. Leave it be.” But Roskelley saw an opportunity to help out the county’s deteriorating parks. Raise greens fees enough to improve parks, but not so much as to price people out of the game.
It makes sense. County courses cost considerably less than city courses - $13.50 to play the county’s best course compared to $16.50 for the city’s best. Roskelley wants to raise the per-game fee to $16 and devote $1 of that to the parks department.
Roskelley says half of the calls he’s received since proposing an increase are from golfers who would gladly pay an extra $2.50 a game, knowing that part of the money would go to parks while the rest went to improve the courses.
It’s well known that county parks could use the money. Some parks have been closed, pools continually spring leaks, restrooms are locked up, playground equipment is falling apart. While officials had the right idea in trying to put aside plenty of land for park use, they’ve wound up with more than they can afford to maintain.
One alternative is to sell the parks - most likely to developers who will simply jam more homes into the already crowded neighborhoods. But Spokane made a commitment to parks for a reason - they’re good for families and aesthetics. It would be unwise to abandon that because of a few whining golfers.
Some of the loudest complaints will likely come from seniors who live on a fixed income. They’re used to playing at a lower, subsidized cost of $9.50 a game. But it costs the courses $11.35 every time someone tees up. Roskelley’s increase wouldn’t gouge seniors; it simply asks them to pay to play at cost. That’s hardly unreasonable. And it’s still $4 less than younger adults would pay.
Let’s face it, the county is hurting for funds and has very little opportunity to raise money. The golf courses provide that opportunity. Roskelley is proposing a temperate increase that would help far more people than it could hurt.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Anne Windishar/For the editorial board