Golf for Fun & Profit

Greg Gary wants a tee time.

The Bowling Green Board of Commissioners received an inquiry from Greg Gary exploring the possibility of leasing and assuming operational responsibilities of Paul Walker Golf Course at Covington Woods Park. Old timers still refer to the nine-hole course as "Munie" or "Municipal," as it was the original city-owned course.

Here’s the discussion in a nutshell:

Reports in the Bowling Green Daily News state that the city lost about $180,000 on that course last year, which was about $44,000 less than it lost two years ago. They sold about 4,000 fewer rounds of golf last year than two years ago. Sold fewer rounds, but lost less money.

Gary wants to lease the course for the next 10 years and pour some money into bringing the greens up to United States Golf Association standards. He blames the reduction in rounds on the fact that the course condition sucks, and seems to think that he can make some expensive improvements and still turn a profit.

BGPR golf division manager Bob Jeffers isn’t buying the crappy conditions argument, saying they suffer the same conditions as every other course around. BGPR director Ernie Gouvas and BG Mayor Joe Denning both think Gary could make it work.

No details have been discussed because Gary wants to know if it’s even feasible before paying attorneys and accountants to look over everything. Gary will make a presentation to the parks advisory board, who will then apparently tell the City Commission whether or not there’s any merit to the deal.

That’s the nutshell.

Here’s my opinion.

The city needs to keep Paul Walker. I’m sure Greg Gary could do a bang-up job of running the thing, but that particular course needs to remain accessible to locals. Lots of kids walk that course and get their first exposure to golf there. Many also get their first exposure to golfing by themselves or with their friends – with no adult supervision – at that course. Many “senior” men and women play it weekly, and it’s a great place for the casual golfer to get in a quick nine or 18.

Let’s dump Cross Winds. All three city courses - Paul Walker, Hobson Grove, and Cross Winds - have operated in the red lately, and at $38 for a Saturday morning round, Crosswinds just about priced itself out of reach of the poor local hackers.

Keep Hobson and Paul Walker, and let the lease or sale of Cross Winds subsidize them. There were rumors of packaging the convention center with Cross Winds at one time, and a deal like that could generate a bunch of cash for our city. If properly used to supply cash to Parks & Rec., it could be a great deal.

The land at Hartland is now too valuable for the city to keep as a golf course. Cross Winds’ sale could generate enough cash flow to build another course in a cheaper section of the city - or even expand Hobson to 18 holes – while still turning the golf operations from a cash eater to a cash generator.