What should Evansville do about its municipal golf courses?
Noah StubbsEVANSVILLE, Ind. — The city is hiring a consulting firm to help determine the future of its municipal golf courses.
City Council approved $47,000 from local income tax funds Monday for a six-month study to be conducted by National Golf Foundation Consulting.
City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. said the study would help the city create a plan for the courses to break even financially or make a profit.
There are four municipal public golf courses fringing around the city's core residential area: Fendrich, Helfrich, McDonald and Wesselman Par 3.
The courses are currently operating at a deficit.
"We're looking at what we can do to rectify the deficit," said Brian Holtz, executive director of the Evansville Parks Department. "We're also looking into the future and how golf will look in the community."
Evansville isn't alone. As golf and local demographics change, municipal courses across the country are struggling with declining participation and revenue.
In 2005, 30 million people in the United States stepped onto a golf course and played a round. By 2017, that number had dropped to 23.8 million, according to the National Golf Foundation.
That same year, Evansville rolled out new promotions geared toward families at the Wesselman course. Children ages 7-16 could play for free with each paying adult during certain times. The par 3 course also brought back night golf on weekends.
More from Monday's meeting:
• Jacobsville Redevelopment Area: Council approved a resolution to extend the Jacobsville Redevelopment Area east of Pigeon Creek near West Franklin Street.
Director of Department of Metropolitan Development Kelley Coures said the extension would help develop the area, which is considered high poverty.
The resolution would also allow local businesses within the extension of the redevelopment area to apply for a non-transferable, non-quoted liquor permit — often referred to as riverfront liquor license.
More:Who could benefit from the Jacobsville Redevelopment Area expansion?
Coures said those businesses with existing three-way — beer, wine and liquor — licenses would stop serving for one year when applying for the discounted license.
He said the riverfront license is discounted at $1,500. Business owners would otherwise pay $30,000 to $40,000 in permit fees.
"I have a lot of business owners in my ward that don't understand (the resolution,) and they're upset," Missy Mosby, D-2nd Ward, said. "My area would love to have something like this. We also have areas that need to be developed."
Mosby, along with councilmen Justin Elpers, R-5th Ward, and John Hayden, R-3rd Ward, voted no.
• LST 325 visitor's center funding: Council approved transfer of $1.3 million for the LST 325 visitor's center.
The ship is expected to be relocated to the Tropicana riverboat site by the end of the year.
More:Goal is for Evansville's LST to have a new home this fall, Port Authority said
More from C&P: