To raise revenue and trim a large taxpayer subsidy to operate the Emporia Municipal Golf Course, new special rates could be offered in 2011.
City and golf course officials are looking into having a special fall or winter rate, senior and colleges rate, discounts for Emporia residents and other methods to entice more golfers on the course.
The focus is to reduce a subsidy that spiked to $218,000 in 2009. So far this year the course has made $402,683 in revenue and spent $497,332 in expenses for a subsidy of $94,649.
Expenses for the golf course soared a year ago due in part to retirement pay outs, higher labor costs, installation of carpet and linoleum and a ball washer for the clubhouse. Emporia City commissioners are satisfied that expenses have been cut this year so the focus is now on the revenue side.
Mark McAnarney, assistant city manager, said the goal has been to have the golf course be 80 percent self-sufficient with the city’s general fund picking up the remaining 20 percent.
Marcus Erkel, golf course club manager, said one element of the golf course advisory board wants to consider is lower rates to play in the fall or winter. Many other course offer special rates during this time of year. Emporia green fees are $18 on weekdays and $20 on weekends year round.
Some of the regulars at Emporia’s course try out courses in Newton, Topeka, Manhattan or the Kansas City area this time of year, Erkel said.
“I don’t see some of the regulars for awhile and when I ask where they have been, they say that they’ve played at other courses without spending a lot of money,” he said.
McAnarney said lowering the price doesn’t always lead to enough new or repeat golfers to increase revenue.
“We are trying to find the perfect (economic) model,” he said.
Erkel said they are also trying to attract more tournaments to Emporia. Many 2011 tournaments are already booked but 2012 state tournaments will be held here, he said.
Membership to the course has declined about five percent in the past year, McAnarney said. If you compare current membership numbers to 2003, it has declined 30 to 40 percent, Erkel said.
One idea to turn that around is offering a discounted annual senior rate. A college students’ rate also could be in the works for 2011.
“The course is already in great shape, we just need more players,” Erkel said.
The golf course advisory board will talk about what to do at its monthly meeting later this month. It might have rate recommendations to the city commission in December. Other ideas to be kicked around are having a 9-hole fee and some kind of partnership with the Emporia Country Club.
Mayor Jim Kessler thought the golf course is on the right path.
“It’s a clear case of not enough revenue,” he said. “They’ve done a great job with expenses.”
Kessler brought up the idea of giving a discount to city of Emporia residents since they are the ones supporting the courses with taxes. He said a course in Gardner has such a discount.
Commissioner Bobbie Agler said some form of specials are worth a try.
“The taxpayers will not go for any more subsidies,” he said.
Wichitawings (anonymous) says...
I believe that Mr. Erkel is on the right track with having different rates. Based on the figures you posted that figures out the course was 80% sufficient, however unless something is done to bring more golfers out and also promote youth golf (not just Emporia High kids during the school year, that do not have to pay) you will continue to see a decline in the amount of play. I wish someone on the city council actually played golf at the city course.
November 12, 2010 at 10:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wichitawings (anonymous) says...
Also when you talk about a "Senior" rate, what age are you talking about. In the city tournament it was 50, presently I believe it is 65, at most other courses within a hundred miles it is 55??
November 12, 2010 at 10:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Wow, I wish I could spend 20% more than I made every year! Perhaps that's why the country is in the shape it's in?
November 13, 2010 at 1:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wichitawings (anonymous) says...
I am curious where the tax money to support the parks department (golf course) comes from? If it is part of the sales tax then it is not just the people of Emporia that support it, it is everyone who shops in Emporia. That is about 90% of Lyon County. The golf course is city property (five miles out of the city limits), but is it totally subsidised by Emporia? How much does the "Water Park" get in subsidy, and the city parks?, the softball/baseball fields? Maybe if we are going to point out one thing everyone should have the whole picture of where the tax money comes from and where it goes!
November 13, 2010 at 9:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
Someone really likes golf
November 13, 2010 at 7:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rene66801 (anonymous) says...
Great Life Golf in the Topeka area charges $348 per year for the entire family and that includes at least 7 golf courses and 3 fitness centers. Cart rental is $6.75 for nine holes. There is a winter rate starting in October for $10 in the afternoon for unlimited golf. Emporia charges $600 per year and the cart rental is high. This has perhaps priced the average citizen out of playing golf. How many managers do they have out there--club house, greens, etc..Salaries should be checked. Lower the rates and perhaps those 30-40% who are no longer golfing might come back.
November 14, 2010 at 7:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
booker5m
Looks like somebody really likes golf and some others don't. I don't play golf and haven't for going on twenty years. But Wichitawings does have a point. Most, if not all, city recreational areas get subsidized right down to and including the zoo. The golf course is however at least partially subsidized by rather high user fees also. The same can not be said for the city parks....nor for the zoo where admission is free.
I am not bad-mouthing the parks or the zoo, but if you are going to look at the city subsidizing some types of recreation you need to look at all such subsidies as well as user fees at all recreational facilities,
November 14, 2010 at 9:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I would like to know the ratio of golf course cost supported by subsidies compared to user fees and divided by number of visitors (players) per year. Then I would like to see the same information for the water park and the zoo before I determined how badly the golfers were ripping off the tax payers.
November 14, 2010 at 9:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
If I am understanding the City Budget correctly the SPECIAL PARKS AND RECREATION part of the budget looks like this for 2011 .
Most of the revenue for parks and recreation comes from
1. Private club Liquor Tax-- $82,473.00
2. Donations & Grants --$ 16,000.00
3. Lake Kahola Proceeds-$45,000.00
4. Interest on investment - $500.00
TOTAL RECEIPTS $143,973.00
But there is no mention of the Municipal Golf Course anywhere in the 2011 Budget, that I can find or exactly which tax is used to fund or subsidize the Golf Course !
I will hazard a guess that the Golf Course subsidy comes from both the sales tax and ad valorem property tax ! And since sales tax revenues are down, I am guessing the lions share of Golf Course subsidy will come from ad valorem property tax, as well as some coming from the list I mentioned above, under Special Parks and Recreation !
When it comes to the workings of the City Budget, the ordinary layman needs to understand the different Funds and how moneys can and are transferred from one Fund to another as needed to make things look good !
And getting a straight answer from the City Commission or City Manager about Budget Funding and Expenditures is like getting blood from a turnip !
November 14, 2010 at 10:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I guess my question then is what is all included in the Parks and Recreation figures you gave. Does that include anything for the Zoo, the Water-park, the Library, even the golf course. The 150-thousand dollars listed in your figures would not have even covered the 200-thousand dollar 2009 golf course subsidy....and would be mostly used by the 90+thousand dollar deficit there so far this year. I wouldn''t think that figure would go far towards operating the Zoo, Water-park, or Library as well. But I have no idea how they are funded and don't know squat about budgets and municipal finance so really feel unqualified to even try to find out.
Now that makes this a red letter day anyway for ole biscuit to admit there is something he doesn't know squat about.....must be the late hour making me delirious......lol :-)
November 15, 2010 at 1:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
After reading the article again it appears the golf course operates largely on the revenue it generates. The goal is 80-percent revenue and 20-percent subsidy. The shortfall is made up out of the general fund.
I guess then my question is how does the revenue vs subsidy ratio line up for other things like the water park and the zoo? And why does the golf course seem to be the only one drawing fire?
November 15, 2010 at 6:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justaflushaway (anonymous) says...
Maybe some of you golf pros's can donate a million dollars to the golf course, as Clint Bowyer has for the Fair grounds,,,,, oh, Clint backs his word, Maybe Clint needs to donate another million, and level the pasture out there and make a dirt race track,, it would bring in a lot more revenue then now.. The only thing would be that the city government would have to stay the hell out of the way and not have access to the revenue,,, sorry, my bad, there would be rednecks, NASCAR lovers, gun touting,beer drinking who love to raise hell and enjoy life, and would bring the families for a venue that would bring in a lot more people then golf would ever do, just something that even those who dont know about racing will become interested in, UNLIKE golf ... but we must make sure that the 1% of the better then thou can be awarded to walk on manicured grass JMO
November 15, 2010 at 7:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sadinemporia (anonymous) says...
I know there are several golf courses in this State that offer monthly memberships for $50-60 that allow unlimited golf, not including a cart. You still have to keep the golf course in good shape, regardless how many people play, yet your getting more people to play which is more affordable to most people than paying $600 up front for an annual if that is really how much it is. I always thought it was around $800/year. By allowing this option, the golf course most likely would get more business increasing revenue. JMO
November 15, 2010 at 5:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wichitawings (anonymous) says...
Justaflushaway-- would have been nice to have Clint donate to the golf course since he used it for his fund raising efforts (which I totally applaude), but no revenue was seen by the golf course since the participants didn't have to include the green fees in the entry fee, they were donated by the city. Unlike you I would like to see our youth of the city and county benefit from clean sports and fun at an affordable cost. But I am all for selling the city golf course to a private company, like so many have done in Topeka and Wichita at a lower cost for fees.
November 15, 2010 at 6:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )