Breaking uneven » Subsidies from general fund flatly refused.

By MATTHEW PIPER | The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Feb 07 2017 08:36PM    •    Last Updated Feb 08 2017 04:59 pm

It's a good thing he's bald, said Derek Kitchen on Tuesday, because otherwise he'd have yanked out his hair hearing about Salt Lake City's beleaguered golf system.    

"This is the most frustrating conversation I've had since I joined the council," he said.

Having requested an update on the status of the city's Golf Enterprise Fund, the council heard that the city's six courses are on track — due in part to some water woes — to end the fiscal year with an operating budget $1 million on the wrong side of par.

What's more, Golf Director Dan Dent presented a litany of suggestions that council staff found to be in violation of council policy guidelines and maybe state law.

"I just can't have another conversation about golf when there's so many more important issues in our city," Kitchen said.

Quipped council Chairman Stan Penfold: "Thanks, Derek, I wish you were more comfortable telling us how you really feel."

Kitchen was the most straightforward but council members — even token golf advocate Charlie Luke — seemed to agree that the administration should return before them with a plan that doesn't include an influx of general funds.

Those options include: closing the lowest-performing courses and repurposing them as public space, reducing pay and benefits for course workers, and partnering with Salt Lake County or private entities.

Dent maintained that while there is little hope of reducing the operating deficit in the next few years, the courses remain a potential source of profit.

for the complete article see …  http://www.sltrib.com/news/4915676-155/salt-lake-citys-golf-woes-face?fullpage=1

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Comment:  Publiic golf courses are "potential source of profit"?  Really?  They must be drinking the same Golf Koolaid in Salt Lake that the current and former Cedar Hills mayors have been serving their citizens.  Hint — our CH golf course in CH has never made one dollar of profit in any year — and cost an average $500,000 each and every year to float it.

Unicorns.  Leprechauns.  Easter bunnies.  When will Mayor Gygi come clean and publish a front page year by year golf course losses?  

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