Golfenomics

golfwallah

Public Golf Courses such as Corballis & Elm Green reported losses of €610,000 for 3 years up to 2010. But get this – Council officials say they are not losing money - these are just “subsidies”. I guess the same logic applies to all the NAMA courses – not losing money – just subsidies. We all know how these “subsidies” are being financed .... from the ordinary working man / woman – just look at your pay slip. And now they’re hitting on private pension funds and there’s a lot of talk about levies on savings. All the while, more essential public services are facing cut backs.
Surely other solutions can be found? Or are we Irish so stuck in “group think” and the only solution we are capable of finding is propping up loss makers with subsidies and screwing the taxpayer?
For example, there’s more than enough spare golf capacity around to let these non performing courses go out of business. The Council should be more than capable of negotiating deals with private golf courses as regards their “social obligations” in off-peak times. Likewise, if the NAMA courses are closed, their members could pick and choose good value memberships from the host of remaining struggling private clubs.
These clubs are putting a brave face on it, many being coy about their need for more members and some still demanding “hello money” – but you can be certain that membership revenue is the lifeblood of most clubs. Spreading a shrinking Irish membership base over all clubs just makes it difficult for the clubs who are playing by normally accepted economic rules and trying to balance their books.
Any views?