Comments about ‘Golf fees to increase in 2012 at Salt Lake City courses’

This is getting out of hand and its time for state and even federal law to limit and stop local governments from illegal taxation without representation. User Fees, penalties, and all charges for government services are getting out of control. These extra charges and fees have become revenue gathering programs to fund government and their budgets. Illegal ticketing, excessive fines and fees that are becoming an established source of unregulated tax revenue.

Other than "reasonable" fines and law violation fees, all other government sponsored services must not be allowed to double tax its citizens for providing government services. Profiteering by government is illegal and so is their ownership and operation of retail businesses.

Every thing else is not a legal cost for taxpayers to bear nor the government hope to profit from. It is illegal for a government to create and operate to make a profit other than as delegated by budget funding.

We need new state laws to reinforce restrictions in taxation and fees for profit as a government mandated service.

Keep raising the green fees and golfers will find other options, i.e. county and privately owned courses or just not playing as much or not at all. I personally know golfers who no longer play because of their financial situation.
I would be interested to see the stats on the number of rounds played on city courses this last year compared to previous years. SLC is not the only place where municipalities have priced themselves out of the market, ultimately lowering revenues. The next option is to close some courses, which results in a lose/lose situation for both the city and the local golfers.

I believe the city should up the costs even more - so sick of playing at these pastures, can't even get a decent lie in the fairway anymore...and don't get me started on the shape of the bunkers and the smell of these outdated proshops and locker rooms.

boohoo to the first 2 hacks leaving comments - your arguments hold no water.

Show me one person who decided they couldn't play a round of golf last year because green fees were raised from $27 to $28 - come on.

@henny

Totally agree, Walking into Bonnies club house smells like walking into an old pool hall down town. County courses are getting to be the same if not worse in some respect. I also think there needs to be some better leadership as far as Pro's and Head Greens Keepers go. There is a lack of consistancy when it comes to taking care of the courses.

Pay the "buck" lets get the roaches out of the kitchen. It may be time to shut a couple down but who looses there. Anybody really ready to shut down Nibley or Forest Dale. What we pay in SLC to play 18 holes is the best deal in town. Like everything else you have got to pay to play.

The courses operate as an "enterprise" meaing that nothing from the general fund goes to them; they fund themselves through their own revenue generation. The problem with SLC courses is that their age is starting to catch up with them. They need some improvements, mainly for basic maintenance, but some could use some majorupgrades. I will golf more at SLC golf courses because of their overall quality and value. Even with a slight increase, they are far cheaper than many other good golf courses. Mt. Dell and Bonneville are two of the great courses in Utah, and two of the public courses around.