PROFIT BY DEFAULT

Leave it to our city (and our local newspaper) to pat themselves on the back. For what? Well really for nothing at all but the city and the newspaper would like you to believe that the city's two municipal golf courses are turning a profit.

It was reported that more rounds of golf are being played at out city's only two municipal golf courses. There have been over 3,000 more rounds of golf played at Gabe Lozanos and Oso Beach Municipal golf courses this year.

Well don't be fooled folks, there is a good reason for this. Actually the reason for this is not good at all. We will explain why in a bit.

Last September the city signed a 10 year lease agreement with Foresight Golf, a company which manages golf courses in the hill country, San Antonio, Houston and now Corpus Christi. The city hired this company because the city felt it could not financially run the two courses properly any longer. They were probably right. After a four month trial run, Foresight Golf took over the courses completely, that was in February. This decision was made after the city had lost over 1.8 million dollars over the past 10 years on those two courses.

Since the take over full time by Foresight Golf, the courses have had 2,000 more rounds of golf played then at the same period last year. It is said that these courses just might turn a profit by years end. Well isn't that something. Doesn't that tell you something about how our city runs its businesses. In just over a year a company has come in (from outside the city) and is on track to make a profit, after 10 years and 1.8 million dollars in losses when the city was running it. Hmm think about that for a second. There are alot of other projects that are city ran and lose money. The Columbus Ships, the Art Museum, the American Bank Center, to name just a few. We have always said here that outside private business is good for this city and
Foresight Golf proves our point.

Another issue here is that the city of Corpus Christi has lost two golf courses in that same period of time. Pharaohs Golf course and Kings Crossing Golf course closed at about the same time Foresight Golf took over the two municipal courses.

So it is not a giant surprise to have more rounds played at these courses, residents options were cut in half when Pharaohs and Kings Crossing closed. So of course the numbers would go up. Oh I hear the people now saying well there is still Newport Dunes in Port A and Padre Isles Golf course on the island, plus you have Corpus Christi County Club Golf course and Northshore Country Club Golf course in Portland, so people still have options. Not really. In these economic hard times taking the 20 to 25 minute drive to Newport Dunes, with gas being well over 3 dollars a gallon, to pay 80 dollars for 18 holes is not a realistic and often option. It wasn't that long ago that Newport Dunes actually filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Padre Isles, Corpus Christi Country Club and Northshore are private courses. You can only play these courses if you are accompanied by a club member. On top of that the rates for these courses are anywhere from 50 to 75 dollars per round. So yes residents of Corpus Christi don't have too many options to play a golf course with a reasonable rate per round.

Yes golf rounds are up at our two municipal golf courses, but by default really. They are up because the city got out of the way and allowed a company to come in here and actually do business. Now this company is on the verge of actually making a profit in just over a year in business, when the city lost money for 10 straight years doing the same job. If the city would do that more often, and by that we mean get out of the way and let these businesses do what they do best, we all will prosper. The city needs to invest into at least one more municipal golf course here and attract more private companies to come here and build golf courses. There is plenty of land available in or around the ever expanding south side. On a side note, does anyone know how many driving ranges the city of Corpus Christi has? Two and one is at Gabe Lozanos. The city just shut one down due to their eminent domain clause.

What do you think about a private company being able to make a profit when the city could not? What do you think about the city allowing those two other golf courses to fold? Do you think the city needs more courses, whether they are municipal course or semi private courses? Do you think the city needs to get out of the way of more things and let private companies run things, they prove they can make money doing so?

Tell us what you think?