Theron “T.O.” Thurman started playing Augusta Municipal Golf Course when he was 12 years old.
A course member, Mr. Thurman, 64, tries to get in a round of golf just about every day.
“For what it costs to play, you can’t beat it,” he said Thursday morning sitting in the course clubhouse after completing his daily game.
Mr. Thurman and other area golfers could see their trips to “The Patch” curtailed after a proposal this week from City Administrator Fred Russell that would close the course to help Augusta shave a nearly $8.6 million budget deficit.
The move would save about $230,000 in cash flow, Augusta Recreation and Parks Director Tom Beck said. That number differs from an estimate by Mr. Russell of saving about $310,000 because of factors such as depreciation, Mr. Beck said.
The Augusta Commission ultimately will decide which cost-saving measures to enact, and the course will operate as normal until then, he said.
Regulars at the 81-year-old golf course described “The Patch” as a no-frills, accessible and budget-friendly venue and said shuttering it would be a mistake.
“It would be devastating,” said Durance “Smitty” Smith, 49, who has played the course for 13 years. “It’s a meeting place for the boys. We all get along together – it’s one big family.”
Mr. Smith, who owns a construction company, said he could play golf elsewhere if “The Patch” closed but would have to take in fewer rounds a week.
He added that might not be an option for all golfers .
“With the economy like it is today, it would be hard for someone who works 9 to 5,” Mr. Smith said.
One of the main problems with municipal golf courses is they don’t traditionally make money. In the 2009 fiscal year, the course had an expense budget of $640,000 and revenues of $530,000, Mr. Beck said.
“It’s very, very difficult to make money on a municipal golf course,” he said. “It costs a tremendous amount of money to keep a golf course up with the greens (maintenance). … “The problem is we can’t charge the kind of fees it would take to break even or make money.”
“The Patch,” which is short for “The Cabbage Patch,” got its nickname from a cabbage patch garden grown near the old clubhouse. Located off Highland Avenue and adjacent to Daniel Field, the overhead roar of aircraft is part of the daily sights and sounds.
Rates range from $7 for nine holes for a senior or junior Mondays through Thursdays to $33 for 18 regular-priced holes using a golf cart on weekends.
Course member Jessie Morton, 65, described Augusta as the “golf capital of the world.” He said that made the course’s possible closure particularly odd.
“Everybody who’s anybody in Augusta has played golf here,” Mr. Morton said. “It’d be a shame if they closed a historical place.”
This isn’t the first time there has been chatter about closing “The Patch.” The course appeared on a potential sale list in 2006, and that proposal gained no traction.
“They started saying this once before,” said Russell Cooper, 86, who has played golf at the course since 1963. “I’ve gotten to the age where I probably don’t want to play anywhere else.”
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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The only thing that needs curtailing is Fred Russell and some commissioners. They just about have Richmond County beyond recovery.
As an avid golfer, I respectfully disagree. I don't look for the "best value in golf". I understand I am in the minority on this topic, but when times are tough we must sacrifice luxuries to provide basics.
Just sell the course now before they close it and it turns into an eyesore.
Ridiculous. This is why we pay taxes, to keep city owned activities open. So we can't have parks/playgrounds/rec centers/etc unless they make a profit? It is a service owed to the tax paying residents. If Mr. Russell can't figure out a way to at least break even on a golf course in Augusta, GA, arguably the biggest city name in the golf world, a course that brings in over half a million dollars a year, he needs to find someone who can.
It's funny how Ronnie can't find ways to cut expenses. Maybe have your men and women park their cars and drive their own cars home for a change? Or maybe when they do specials (which and tax free under the table) they should rent the cars out?
Maybe someone should sue the city for defrauding the taxpayer. Why should the taxpayer be covering the cost of gas and insurance on an officer that is off duty but working a special for cash under the table? We flip the bill if the office is hurt while on one of these specials.
i think the first tee needs to take over the patch.
Save The Patch!
Ham: this article is correct when it states that most municipal golf courses are not self supporting. This is not just an Augusta issue. Many municipalities across America are indeed cutting parks and recreation budgets to provide basic services. Sad, but true.
This makes me incredibly sad. In my opinion, the Patch is a part of the fabric of Augusta. And I haven't played golf since I was a kid! When National Geographic did a story on Augusta in the early 00s, the Patch was prominently featured because of its importance to the community. You know what? The recession is not permanent. It will end. Getting rid of a landmark to fill a temporary hole in the budget is short-sighted and contrary to the long-term welfare of the community.
Why would we subsidize this and not the skateboard park for the kids? If it isn't paying for its own way, close it and use the money saved to give the police officers a pay raise because the way things are going, we will need them more than a bunch of golfers. If people want it for their game let them pay for it. It would appear that the people who were using the facility have gone to other places or activities. If the regular crowd can't support it why should the rest of us?
Yea, diss, and while we are at it, let's cut out every gov't supported program that doesn't make money. Oh, and let's don't start any new ones. Like healthcare.