“Papago Golf Course fans want it restored to glory” plus 2 more |
- Papago Golf Course fans want it restored to glory
- Golf-Teen prodigy denied request to play more LPGA Tour events
- Golf committee votes against beer sales
| Papago Golf Course fans want it restored to glory Posted: 13 Jan 2011 05:45 PM PST by Connie Cone Sexton, Republic Columnist - Jan. 13, 2011 12:47 PM The fate of the Papago Golf Course is in limbo. The management arm of the Arizona Golf Foundation, which has been running the course, filed for bankruptcy in October. Court proceedings likely will continue into February. Phoenix, which owns the course, will have to wait to see if it can fire AGF and find a new company or organization to run the course. Fans of Papago, 5595 E Moreland St., want to see the course returned to its vibrant past. And they would like to see a new clubhouse, something that would draw old and new players.
Forrest Richardson, a golf course architect in Phoenix, hopes Papago can regain its status. Richardson, who has designed courses that include one at the Arizona Grand Resort, near South Mountain, grew up playing Papago. "I care about it, deeply," he said. "It's a very special golf course with a tremendous setting. With its gently rolling landscape, it's a formidable test of golf but not so challenging but still enjoyable for the lesser player. From the beginning, the course had everything stacked in its favor." The course had a huge following in its heyday, he said, with golfers showing up before the sun rose. In 1971, it gained fame by hosting the U.S. Public Links Championship. Phoenix Deputy Parks and Recreation Director Rob Harman agreed about the course's legacy. "For years, Papago was rated as one of the top municipal courses in the country," he said. "It was designed by William F. Bell, one of the most renowned golf course architects in the country." Phoenix, like other cities across the country, got into running golf courses to open the field to more players. Decades ago, "the only way you could play was if you belonged to a country club," Harman said. "This was the only way to bring (golf) to the common person." Phoenix opened the Papago Golf Course in 1963 and continued to build municipal courses through the 1960s and '70s, Harman said. "But then something happened throughout the country, housing developers and resort hotel owners began building public courses that weren't municipally operated," he said. "So it really changed the paradigm of public golf." Players at city courses began expecting more and better amenities. Cities tried to keep up when financially possible, in order to retain golfers. "When the economy is strong and good, municipal golf still provides the public with a reasonable and affordable golf experience," Harman said. "Right now, though, municipal courses are struggling because the private-course rates have fallen and we're now competing with them." Courses that once charged $80 to $90 rounds are now charging $35 to $40, Harman said. Papago's winter rate is $44 per round without a cart. Last year, Phoenix municipal courses had a 6 percent drop in rounds and revenue. The biggest disappointment among Papago's fans is the failure to build a clubhouse after the existing one was razed. The clubhouse is in a trailer until a permanent structure can be built. For Richardson, it's time to recapture Papago's original glory. Reach the reporter at connie.sexton@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-6843. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Golf-Teen prodigy denied request to play more LPGA Tour events Posted: 14 Jan 2011 01:01 PM PST MIAMI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Teenage prodigy Alexis Thompson's request to play more frequently on the LPGA Tour through sponsor's invitations has been denied, commissioner Mike Whan said on Friday. The 15-year-old American had petitioned the Tour for 'limited membership' and a doubling in sponsor exemptions from six to 12. "After careful consideration … I have decided to deny that request for 2011," Whan said in a statement. "Lexi has remarkable skills for a 15-year-old, and if she continues to grow and develop, I believe that she should have a great future both on and off the golf course. "This season, Lexi still will be able to secure up to six sponsor exemptions for LPGA-sanctioned events, and also may choose to pursue additional playing opportunities through our 'open' Monday qualifier format." Whan had to balance Thompson's petition against the needs of the Tour's rank-and-file players, many of whom now struggle to compete in as many as 12 events each season because of limited fields and the economic downturn. There are only 25 events on this year's schedule, with 13 of them being held outside the United States. The 2008 LPGA Tour comprised 34 events. "Those (rank-and-file) players can't make a living," American world number two Cristie Kerr told reporters at the end of last year. "The economic landscape that we're in right now doesn't allow that to happen. We're not in 1994 any more." Thompson, who as a 12-year-old became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open, made her professional debut last June at the ShopRite LPGA Classic where she missed the cut. The following month, she tied for 10th in the U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont before producing her best finish of the season two weeks later with a tie for second at the Evian Masters in France. She competed in eight events last year, six through sponsor exemptions and two via qualifying. After her precocious debut at the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, Thompson qualified again the next three years, and was a triple gold medal winner (individual, team, total team) at the Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship, matching the success of Paula Creamer (2003) and Lorena Ochoa (2001). (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue; To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Golf committee votes against beer sales Posted: 14 Jan 2011 11:45 AM PST Neosho, Mo. — Golf committee members recommended flexible rates as the better option to raise revenues, instead of alcohol sales during an advisory board meeting Thursday night. A December vote by the council increased the pricing for season passes and also allowed more flexibility with non-peak rates — something board members hope to take advantage of. "We have an underutilized facility, it's not that it's not utilized well," said Chairman Jeff Haas. "We'd like it to be utilized more." The possibility of a winter rate and summer twilight rate were discussed along with a $5 special for The Lakes course which sees the least play. The vote to authorize beer sales at the golf course failed after discussion. Neosho Parks and Recreation Director Todd Banes said he brought the idea forward in order to discuss every possibility to raise golf course revenues in the face of increasing debt service payments. The course was refinanced years ago. This year the debt payment was $181,000, but next year it jumps to $221,325. The incremental increases put them at a $282,588 debt service for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. "These are very scary figures," Banes said, "I wish I could tell you how we could come up with another $100,000. I view my job as I've got to make every effort to explore every possibility. "We are now, to me, at our limit for both daily fees and I'm worried that we're going to lose some play just from that." Total revenue as reported from a 2009-2010 year end unaudited financial report was $446,936 with $390,621 in expenses. This year's revenues were hurt by lightning strikes in both May and July that took out 53 of the city's 70 leased carts both times. The carts were repaired, but have had residual problems from the double strike. The course also lost revenue, members said, with carts out of commission for approximately a month after each strike. "This course does make money, it just doesn't make enough," Haas said, "It will always be in the best interest of the city to keep this course open, in good shape, well maintained and to encourage play because it does make money and help contribute toward the debt service. "It we could get out of debt service we'd have it made." The option of selling alcohol has been a perennial one, Haas said. There would be expenses associated with the change, Banes noted. Insurance estimates were not available for the meeting, but a cooler to store stock would need to be purchased and an alcohol license set up. Schifferdecker Golf Course in Joplin has always had alcohol sales. They sold about $29,000 and made approximately $15,000 profit last year, Banes reported. Board members, club pro Justin Beck, and several term Men's Association past president John Rogers offered objections to the idea. "I just don't think that it would be feasible," said Ken Tyler, board member for more than 20 years, "You've got jobs for high school boys out here, we have a lot of high schoolers out here. We've got church groups, that come out to play and we might lose that." "I don't think selling beer would bring in one more person," Beck said. "It might make some people happy, but it's not going to bring in extra revenue where selling it we might lose some people." "I don't think the positives outweigh the negatives," Rogers said. Ruth Crawford made a motion to reject the idea due to necessary space, employees, time, liability, and setup costs. Tuck Ellis seconded, "I don't think there's enough profit for the headaches involved." * * * "Before we had a fleet to trade in, now we don't," Haas noted. The lease ends in August, but there has been trouble with the electric carts after two summer power surges knocked them off line. Electric carts, Beck told the board, are more expensive up front and worth less after several years. "It's less money to operate a gas golf cart than an electric golf cart," Beck said. Bids and a recommendation to purchase or lease new carts will go before the city council before the season begins in April. The board hopes through a mix of lease and purchase or used purchase the city can build a small fleet back up so they have the option of holding on to the vehicles longer. "Fifty golf carts are plenty 90 percent of the time," Beck said. The board ended the meeting with a discussion of possible rate specials to increase play and raise funds. They acknowledged that they will need to set up a rotation plan for the course's eight mowers. The city, Tyler said, needs to maintain golf course operations in order to get their investment out of it — especially since debt on the course has eliminated the idea of selling. "You're not going to kick this can very much farther," Tyler said of the payments. "It's going to start coming apart." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Golf - Yahoo! News Search Results To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment