RCSC Forms Ad Hoc Golf Committee

Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc. General Manager Jan Ek recently announced the formation of a Golf Ad Hoc Committee made up of members of the Sun City golf community and RCSC management. The purpose of this committee will be to work together to explore options and ideas for increasing golf revenues and decreasing golf operating expenses.  Ms. Ek has also started a golf email list to keep golfers “in the loop” and informed about developments in the golf division. If you would like to be on that list please email Jan requesting such at jek@sunaz.com. 

The Golf Ad Hoc Committee will meet regularly throughout the summer, starting in June, and will meet either weekly or biweekly, depending on the effectiveness and progress of the committee. The scope of the committee will be to provide viable solutions to the operating golf deficit and growing capital requirements of the golf division at RCSC. Suggestions from this committee will be provided to the Green Committees, the Golf Advisory Committee and the golf community for review and input, and once finalized as a viable solution will be presented to the Board of Directors for their review and subsequent approval or disapproval. Regardless of the outcome, RCSC management will be forced to present solutions at the time the 2008 budget is presented to the Budget and Finance Committee and the Board of Directors in the late fall.   

GM Ek announced the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee at a recent Golf Advisory Committee meeting and there have already been numerous volunteers for the committee. Since the committee will not be functional with too many members, there are already more volunteers than positions available. However, if you are interested in serving on this Golf Ad Hoc Committee, please notify Jan by emailing her at jek@sunaz.com and include a brief biography of your background. For those of you not serving on the committee, please feel free to submit ideas or suggestions that you may have so the committee can use them in their process. 

With many members of the golf community providing input to the Golf Advisory Committee, on May 17 the Advisory Committee voted against a proposed golf fee schedule that would have eliminated the trail fee by increasing the surcharge and resident green fee. Many members expressed their concerns about the golf division not receiving any increase in revenue with the proposed change. While the Golf Advisory Committee does not officially approve or disapprove any proposed changes, the committee does provide recommendations to the Board of Directors. GM Ek says that since she is looking for the support of the golf community, the proposed golf fee schedule is not likely to go any further.  Ms. Ek said that she is grateful for the input of the golf community and believes that we can find a combination of viable solutions that will get RCSC golf off the path of increased deficits and capital requirements that will, in the end, decrease the condition of our golf courses and possibly make golf unaffordable for some Sun City golfers. “There is a very fine line we have to walk,” Ms. Ek explained. “While some golfers would propose to just raise our golf fees to solve the problem, it appears that we have experienced a 10 percent decrease in golfers just from a 5 percent fee increase, so there is not any one simple solution. We have to consider a variety of options and we may have to try a few different things to see what works and what doesn’t.” 

The issue of using a double sheet versus a single sheet system for tee times will also be a topic for the Golf Ad Hoc Committee to discuss and explore further, said Ms. Ek. She noted that while many Sun City golfers feel that moving to a single sheet system is not a viable solution for Sun City golf courses, it certainly provides enough operational and financial benefits to be considered. RCSC management has provided some ideas on how to possibly solve the social aspects.  

The Golf Ad Hoc Committee meetings will begin in June and Sun City golfers are welcome to attend. These meetings will be posted on the RCSC web site under the Board of Directors tab and on the drop down menu “Committee Meetings.” Additionally Ms. Ek will notify all those on her golf e-mail list of dates, times and locations for meetings.

Contact: Lindsay Frost, RCSC Communications Coordinator (623) 876-3060, ext. 3087; lfrost@sunaz.com.

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