Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
The township council handed its debt-ridden golf course over to a national golf course chain Tuesday night, ending more than a year of discussions over possible privatization.
In a 3-1 vote, the township council voted to accept a contract with Billy Casper Golf to manage the Indian Spring Golf Course, which the township has run since 1973.
Billy Casper Golf is a national golfing company that runs 37 municipal courses.
The township will pay the company a $90,000 annual management fee for five years, according to the contract. In turn, the township will keep profits at the course up to $1.5 million in revenue. Beyond that amount, the township will keep 80 percent of the profits.
"Their plan will give us the most financial opportunity,' said Councilwoman Jamie Montgomery.
Mayor Gus Tamburro said the township will earn between $70,000 and $347,000 from the course yearly.
Councilman Sal Cardillo voted against the plan, and Councilman Jud Hanlon abstained because his brother works at the course.
Current golf course employees lobbied against the privatization for fear of losing their jobs. They said the quality of the course had improved markedly in the last year.
"Our people should have had another year to prove themselves,' Cardillo said. "I have a severe problem with this.'
But the council's reluctance to raise taxes to subsidize the course led to its decision.
The course had generated revenue for years, but in the 1990s surplus funds were used for tax relief and nearly $10 million in bonds were floated for a new catering facility and course improvements.
Last year the course ran an $830,000 deficit, which was paid off with open-space money.
The council rejected two other options for the future of the golf course: Keeping it under township control and laying off four employees to save money, and entering into a management agreement with the owners of another course across town, The Links.
