Golf course ownership.. should government be involved? Yes!
To say cities, states, and other government entities should not be involved in owning or running golf courses is something I cannot agree with. The main argument is that government should not be involved in private enterprise.
But, consider this: Government provides public schools, while private schools also exist. The US Postal Service delivers packages, the same thing Federal Express and USP does. Government owns airports; so do private individuals. Many soup kitchens receive government aid, while businesses called restaurants sell food.
Getting back to golf, another argument is that municipalities should not be competing directly against private entrepreneurs such as course owners. Municipal golf is good for the overall health of As long as government isn’t dictating to these privately-owned golf courses what they can and cannot charge, or controlling how their operations are run, so what? My brother is an accomplished entrepreneur. He says it doesn’t matter what the competition is, as long as the business is well-run and people get value for their money, it will be successful.
The other thing is that municipal golf courses aren’t even competing against privately-owned ones, in a sense. They generally cater to the lower- budget golfer who otherwise would be unable to afford to play at all. At a time when golf needs all the participation it can get, do we really need to risk driving a segment of the population away from the game?
Municipal golf is good for the overall health of the game. Let’s make sure it succeeds in the long run.
