It is that time of year when golfers think wistfully of the impending season and non-golfers think angrily about why the City continues to own and run an unprofitable amenity for a minority of the population.
Darcy McLeod, director of community development, parks and recreation, addressed this question partially at the regular meeting of City Council on Monday. Council has for a long time held that Deer Park Golf Club is a valuable amenity for Yorkton. It is an excellent course and because the administration tries to run it partially like a business and partially like a city facility, they feel it strikes a nice balance.
And it does. To look at the rationalization in a little more depth, it is useful to go right back to the definition of amenity, which is a desirable or useful feature.
Obviously an affordable golf course is desirable and useful to golfers, but it is also desirable and useful to the city as a whole. If it is a good course, and Deer Park is one of the nicer municipal courses in the province, it is an attraction. It brings in people to play, but also to shop and to eat and buy gas and all the other things visitors do, so it contributes to the economy in ways that may not be immediately apparent.
Other intangible benefits include being a deciding factor for people planning events. When conference planners, for example, look at a potential cities for an event, they do not just look at the convention facility, accommodations and catering etc., they look at extra-curricular opportunities such as museums, entertainment and yes, golf.
These things, of course, are difficult to quantify, but they must be considered.
And as city amenities go, Deer Park is the best we have in terms of cost recovery goes.
None of the rinks, ball fields or soccer pitches, nor community centres or even Gallagher Centre come close to matching Deer Park for cost recovery. McLeod said they try to keep it around revenue around 65 per cent of expenses, but some come in considerably lower. Gloria Hayden Community Centre, for example, was just 43 per cent last year.
On the other hand, the golf course cost recovery was 89 per cent last year, which is about average.
And Deer Park is not just an amenity for golfers. It is a great place for a walk and open to the public for that purpose. In winter it features cross country skiing trails.
There is something else people should be aware of, if they are not. One of the main impediments to people getting involved in golf is the cost, but Deer Park is affordable even for adults at just $1,195 for a season pass. For juniors it is practically free at just $100 for a season pass.
It is free for children if you add on a spousal pass for $720 to the adult pass. Casual golfers can also play very affordably as single round green fees are still under $50.
Golf has many benefits, among them social, health, coordination and fair play. It is a sport that can be played from childhood to old age.
And here in Yorkton we have an excellent amenity that is accessible, affordable and fun that benefits the city, its residents and visitors.
If you have not checked it out, you should; it is your golf course, after all.
