Eagle Bend fights opposition to stay alive

            Scott Glenn has played a lot of golf courses. As a golfer at Missouri State, he's played a lot of good ones, too. But he's particularly fond of one in Lawrence--city-owned and operated Eagle Bend Golf Course, 1250 E. 902^nd Road.

Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence has been open to the public since 1998. It features an 18-hole course, two driving ranges and a fully stocked pro shop with concessions.

            "I've played it a few times, and what a great place to play," Glenn said. "It's really well run, well manicured. For a city-owned course, that's about as nice as I've played on."

            The course, which will get just over $1.1 million from the city, or .76 percent of the total city budget, in 2009, tries to pay that back with revenue from greens fees, concessions and a fully stocked pro shop. After the budget for the golf course dropped below $1 million in 2008, at $972,940, the budget for expenditures jumped back to seven figures, where it has been since 2002 .

            In a letter to the mayor and city commissioners, city manager David Corliss said that the golf course was expected to turn a profit in 2009.

            "While expenses and revenues are largely weather dependent, budgeted revenues are projected to meet or exceed projected expenditures at the golf course in 2009," Corliss wrote.

John Morris, golf course supervisor and head pro, said that the course has seen hardly any fluctuation in business despite the economic downturn.

"The economy has been, for the golf course, pretty much a non-issue," Morris said. "Our budget is pretty much okay, but as far as parks and rec and money from the state, that's a little different."

What some people see as an all but disastrous undertaking--commenters on the Lawrence Journal-World's Web site were calling for the golf course to be shut down to save city funds as recently as February--may actually be defying expectations.

Over the past five years, Eagle Bend has averaged a profit of $12,085. It's largest profit came in 2007, and it took its largest loss in 2004.

"The economic stuff hasn't really hurt us because we're able to keep our prices so low," Morris said. "Then because of that, whatever budget we get--well, we tend to make more than we spend."

The numbers from the last couple of years back Morris' claim. In 2007, the most recent year which full records are available, the golf course spent $765,414 of its budget of over $1 million, while their total receipts equaled over $920,000. It was the second time in as many years that the course has brought in a profit for the city--in 2006, Eagle Bend's receipts totaled over $1 million.

The opposition to the golf course is largely a product of the payment plan that started when the course was built. The city will be paying bond and interest until 2016, and Eagle Bend lost over $100,000 as recently as 2004.

"Man, it just seems like a waste of money," Wichita junior Andrew Noyes said. "We've already got a couple 18-hole courses, then if you want to play for cheap, just go to the Orchards. Why does the city have to have its own golf course?"

Noyes was referencing Lawrence Country Club, Alvamar Golf Course and Alvamar Orchards, a nine-hole, par-31 course that costs $8 per round.

"I like to golf, I just don't know why tax money should go to the upkeep of some course that I then have to pay to play on," Noyes said. "I'd rather just pony up a little extra to play Alvamar."

            Ernie Shaw, interim director of the Parks & Recreation Department, preached patience, however.             

"That course is making close to a million bucks every year. In 2006, we made money even with bond and interest," Shaw said. "Depending on the year and depending on the weather, because weather obviously plays such a big role, golf can be a very lucrative undertaking. It makes more money than any single program because it can generate its own revenue."

Eagle Bend produces its own revenue mostly through greens fees and its two driving ranges, one of which is shown here. A bucket of balls costs $3.50, $7 or $10.50, depending on the size.

Shaw said he believes the golf course is unfairly singled out in terms of putting it on the chopping block.

"I have no idea why people pick golf out over anything else, but it sure seems like they do," Shaw said. "I think people feel like golf, because of country clubs, is an elite sport only for the wealthy. But that's not what public golf is. We have golf lessons just like we have little league and swimming lessons and public parks."

That service will be around for a little while longer--even with opposition from the public. When proposed budget cuts were presented to city commissioners in January, closing Eagle Bend was not even an option.