Municipal golf courses aim to stay on par

By Terry Oparka 
C & G Staff Writer

Those in charge of city-owned golf courses do a number of things to stay on the ball in tough economic times, while not losing sight of why the courses exist — to offer everyone a chance to tee off close to home at an affordable cost.

Those things include offering virtual tours from the tee and flyover videos online, discounting rates during “soft,” or slow, times and letting juniors play for free.

For the first time this spring, as a marketing tool, the city of Troy offers a virtual tour of every hole, a description of the hole, and shots of the greens at both the city-owned golf courses, Sanctuary Lake and Sylvan Glen, on the city’s website. The e-tour also stops at the restaurants at each course — Piper’s Pub and Bar, and Camp Ticonderoga — the practice facilities and pro shops.

“We wanted to remind the regulars to keep coming and target those new to Troy,” said Cindy Stewart, director of community affairs for the city of Troy. “We’ve got a lot of positive feedback.”

The Troy courses opened earlier than ever this past spring, in mid-March, and offered discounted rates through mid-April.

In an effort to close a projected budget gap due to declining property values and state-shared revenue, the Troy City Council will consider bids from outside firms to manage the courses.

Sanctuary Lake was built with bond funding over a former landfill and opened in 2004, while Sylvan Glen has operated as a golf course since the 1920s. The city purchased the course from the estate of a private owner in the 1970s and has operated it since that time.

In 2009, revenue at Sanctuary Lake was approximately $924,000 and expenses were about $756,000, leaving about $168,000 to cover the debt service amount of $830,000.

Revenue at Sylvan Glen, which operates with no debt service, was over $1 million and expenses were $924,000. The extra funds were used to improve the facilities.

The Troy Parks and Recreation Department offers a number of youth and adult programs at Sanctuary Lake designed for all levels of play.

Sylvan Glen hosts more than 30 weekday golf leagues played in the mornings and afternoons, and more than 50 golf outings a year.

Carol Anderson, director of parks and recreation for the city of Troy, said that both novice and experienced players would have a good experience at Sylvan Glen, while Sanctuary Lake offers more challenge.

“They are two distinctly different courses, and both offer a great opportunity to recreate close to home,” Anderson said.

Leagues are the bread and butter of the St. Clair Shores Country Club, the golf course owned by the city of St. Clair Shores.

The leagues play 20 to 26 weeks a year and retain more than 800 members. “That’s guaranteed revenue,” said Tim Dorner, golf course superintendent for St. Clair Shores Country Club.

Also, the course stays open year-round, as long as weather and ground conditions are suitable. Die-hard golfers played through mid-December, as well as weeklong stretches in January and February.

Dorner said that the revenue generated by the winter golfers is greater than any potential damage to the grounds.

“The people who play during those months are serious golfers and very respectful of the grounds,” Dorner said.

St. Clair Shores Country Club also offers a number of incentives to young golfers, such as free play for youths who accompany their parents during soft times, to ensure that new players will take up the game.

Dorner said that statistics show that rounds of golf are down across the country and that growth is flat.  “We’ve got to get young people playing.”

Dorner said that the city has no plans to explore privatization of the facility at this time.

“We have a very reasonable price point and a positive cash flow,” he said. The profit is absorbed into the city’s other recreational facilities, which include three lakefront parks, neighborhood parks and 30 ball diamonds.

“The intent for municipal golf is to provide affordable golf for the general public,” he said. “We can’t be a big profit center.”

He explained that the original manager, Jerry Komeau, now deceased, provided a strong business model that has proved successful since the city purchased the facility in 1976. The Masons had operated it as a 36-hole course since the 1920s, until after the Great Depression, when it operated as the Lakepointe Country Club. When that went bankrupt, the city purchased it and redesigned it.

“It’s a very nice facility and challenging for all ages,” he said.

The city of Farmington Hills also operates a golf course. In 1978, the city acquired the former San Marino Golf Course, which opened in 1963, and expanded it in 1990 and 1996. The facility offers a driving range, a full-service restaurant and a huge patio with views of the course. The city’s website features flyover videos of the course and an interactive Google Earth map.