Source: The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.)
After a two-hour discussion on golf rates and policies for SilverRock Resort, the La Quinta City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to reduce the winter rate for its residents by $5 for a round of golf.
Residents will still pay as low as $30 a round in the summer. But instead of paying $60 during the peak season as proposed, residents will pay $55 a round once the first course opens for play, which is expected in January.
"I think the $55 is a little high. I would liked to have seen $45. Nevertheless, I'll play a few rounds of golf," said resident Don Rector.
Located at Avenue 52 and Jefferson Street, SilverRock Resort eventually will have two 18-hole public golf courses, hotels, retail and open space on 525 acres.
The project is intended to generate revenue for the city from hotel and sales taxes to pay for city services and programs in the future.
But the idea for the project started out much more simply, Mayor Don Adolph said.
"The premise was to bring a public golf course to our citizens who couldn't afford to live in a private gated community and a private golf course," he said.
Adolph said he could not have supported a golf rate more than $55 for residents.
The city expects La Quinta residents to play 7,500 rounds, or about 20 percent of the play projected for the first year.
From January through April, residents will pay $55 to play golf any day of the week.
From May 1-July 4 and Oct. 1-Dec. 25, the rate for residents will be $45. Then it drops to $30 from July 5-Sept. 30.
To get those rates, residents and property owners in La Quinta must pay for a card at City Hall.
The rates for other golfers will start as low as $65 a weekday and $75 a weekend during the summer to $145 a weekday and $160 a weekend from January through April.
However, each year the council intends to review the rates and the operating budget, which is about $3.4 million for the first year.
The goal is to break even and have the Arnold Palmer-designed course be self-sufficient, said Assistant City Manager Mark Weiss.
"Because of the location and the designer and notoriety of the course, we hope that we have the course occupied," he said.
As for tee times, residents will be able to schedule play up to three days in advance, while the general public will be allowed to book tee times up to 90 days in advance.
"As a resident, I've looked forward for a long time for a public golf course in La Quinta we can enjoy," Rector said.
However, he was concerned about being able to get tee times, especially since he believes many golfers will want to play once it opens.
Golf course operator Landmark Golf Management says it will make every effort to accommodate resident play.
Golfers will be able to drive their own carts to SilverRock, but private golf carts won't be allowed on the courses.
Also, city staff members will be eligible to play the course at the same rate as residents even if they don't live in the city.
