No Hike in City Fees ... Yet

The fight over green fees at Los Angeles City courses has taken some interesting turns in the last few weeks, but it appears that fees will remain the same for the immediate future.

On July 9, the City Department of Recreation and Parks Commissioners rejected a plan that would raise fees at the city courses as much as $6, and put on hold a second plan that calls for a $1 fee increase at all seven city-run regulation courses.

“Prices aren’t going anywhere at the moment,” said Craig Kessler, executive director of the Public Links Golf Assn. of Southern California.

Recreation and Parks General Manager Manuel Mollinedo had proposed a $6 increase at Rancho Park and a $4 increase at Wilson and Harding, but that plan was opposed by groups representing golfers at a June 30 meeting at Rancho Park. Subsequently, that plan was shelved by Recreation and Parks Commissioners.

The golf advisory commission countered with a plan to raise prices $1 at all L.A. city-run courses, but the Recreation and Parks Commission put that plan on hold while it determined if a fee increase would benefit the golf course system.

“Parks Board President Mike Roos gave a long and impassioned speech about not raising prices until the city has a strategic plan in place to develop a comprehensive improvement program,” Kessler said. “In other words, when the city can guarantee a better product, we’ll look at fee increases.”

Golf fees generate about 70% of the Department of Recreation and Parks total revenue. Right now, the money goes into a general fund that can be used by the entire department.

There is a movement to separate golf from the rest of the department, which would allow all golf-generated money to go directly toward course improvements.

“That is golf’s ticket to salvation,” Kessler said.

*

Teams have been selected for the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, but the tournament is reverting to an individual emphasis in order to attract attention from the Walker Cup selection committee.

Greg Puga of Los Angeles, Travis Johnson of Bellflower and Iain Macdonald of Fullerton will represent the Public Links Golf Assn. of Southern California; John Merrick of Long Beach, Roy Moon of Simi Valley and Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes will represent the Southern California Golf Assn.

The tournament had emphasized team competition, but the USGA downplays team play in the Walker Cup Selection process. As a result, there were no major amateur tournaments on the West Coast for players from the West to establish Walker Cup credentials. For the last Walker Cup in 2001, U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney of Arizona was the only player from west of the Mississippi on the team.

The Pacific Coast Amateur is Aug. 5-8 at Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver, Canada.

*

Amateur golfers in the Southland will have the opportunity to go up against some of the world’s longest drivers during the Pinnacle distance challenge Aug. 2 at San Bernardino Golf Course.

Former Re/Max World Long Drive champions Jason Zuback and five-time World Long Drive finalist Mike Moulton will challenge any golfer to a driving contest. Anyone who beats them wins $5,000.

The longest driver of the day will win an additional $10,000 and a trip to the World Long Drive Championships in Mesquite, Nev., to compete against members of the Pinnacle distance team for up to $1 million.

*

Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast recently refurbished the 125 bunkers on its two courses. Each course was shut down for a month so workers could remove the old sand, reshape the bunker lips, replace the drainage systems and refill the bunkers with a 75% crushed marble sand.

“The courses look brand new,” Pelican Hill General Manager Hansjoerg Maissen said.

The club also promoted Gary Newman from head professional to director of golf.