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A bogey of a planIn their effort to find a way to put Schifferdecker Municipal Golf Course on a pay-as-you-go basis, the Joplin City Council and Park Board may run afoul of the law — the economics law of diminishing returns, that is.For what the council and board are proposing to voters in November is a whopping 66 percent increase in greens fees and season passes designed to generate about $66,000 in additional revenues at the course. That would eliminate the necessity of a $50,000 operating subsidy in next year's budget and, according to Park Board Chairman Gary Burton, make the course self-sustaining, at least temporarily.Unfortunately, jacking up the greens fees to $5.75 and $6.75 from $3.75 and $4.25 may not achieve the desired goal. Indeed, if enough municipal golfers find themselves priced off the course by the new fee structure. the result could be precisely the opposite.A golfer who is willing to spend, say. $13 to play golf three times a week may be reluctant — or unable — to plop down $19 to $20 for the same number of rounds. He mav have to cut back to once a week and go elsewhere. No doubt some players will decide thatthe new fees are simply too high for what they aregetting.Carthage and Neosho have municipal courses and their greens fees are lower than what is proposed for Schifferdecker. If greens fees must be raised, why not bring them up to the level of the competition, notabove it.Why must the golf course sustain itself? It is one city operation that brings in money. Is the city going to require that all of its services eventually pay for themselves, too? Are we to see coin machines on the gates to the tennis courts or city collectors hitting up picnickers for using tables in the parks?We understand the council’s desire to hold the line on the budget. But what is being planned at Schifferdecker Municipal Golf Course would be the wrong thing to do if it winds up reducing access to something that enriches the qualify of life in the community and makes it an attractive place to reside, shop and enjoy one’s self.Voters ought to stop this plan from making it to thefirst tee in November.
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sun, Sep 09, 1984
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 13 May 2023
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