Golfers who entertain the idea that greenfield fees are too high should consider the following:
1. There is far more land set aside for the sport of golfing than any other form of recreation in the city or county boundaries.2. County and city parks don't even begin to match the land area taken up by golf courses.
3. If the land area taken up by golf courses was put on the county tax rolls and assessed at the present property tax rate of residential values, the fees to pay for this would be out of reach for even the affluent.
4. If the equivalent land value of the various courses was invested at the current interest rate, what would be the earned income from the interest alone? Would the current fees match this amount? I doubt it very much.
like to see the details of these costs. I am fairly certain that if the golf courses were charged the same costs per gallon of culinary water that an ordinary resident pays that the fees would be much higher.
6. I would like to see Dan Jones run a survey on the number of people that use our golf courses, their income status, age and so forth. I think you would see that golf is for the elite who can readily afford to pay more.
7. An author of a letter to the editor this past week thought his fee of $5 more for 18 holes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays was way too high. I ask, where can one buy five or six hours of recreation time for the amount, even with the $5 added? Lagoon? A sports mall? The Delta Center? A BYU or Utah University football or basketball game? Or even a fishing, boating or hunting trip?
8. Golfers, quit griping. The more you gripe, the more our elected officials will see that you are not paying your fair share and that the taxpayers are subsidizing your recreation.
I applaud Mayor Corradini and the Salt Lake City Council for taking part of your fees and giving them to the Parks and Recreation Department where ordinary citizens and the poor can receive a little more recreation.
I think that still more money should be spent to entice the youth to take up sports like basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, and yes, even golf. Wouldn't it be magnanimous for golfers to pay a little more so a poor or a disadvantaged boy or girl could have the privilege of playing golf, with clubs, balls and other equipment thrown in?
John M. Limburg
Murray