To research what pricing is appropriate for course events |
| GARDNER — The Golf Commission voted Tuesday night to pass two motions aimed at solving the recent dispute caused by informal fees that participants in golf tournaments held at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course feel obligated to pay. The first motion, which passed unanimously, will require a letter be sent to course golf pro J. Michael Egan, that would order him to cease and desist from charging fees to individual players or tournament participants other than those the commission established, which are published in The Gardner News, all of which are in accordance with City of Gardner Ordinance No. 80. The second motion, which also passed unanimously, assigned commission members Jeff Gallant and Raymond LaFontaine the responsibility of researching appropriate pricing for future events, and report back to the commission at their next meeting. “This is to determine if the current prices are appropriate,” said commission Chairman Robert Venning, who launched the commission members’ investigation, in response to the seemingly required informal fee of $10 the pro shop charges to each player of the tournament. “I have never charged a mandatory $10 fee to anyone,” said Mr. Egan, “but from my perspective, I don’t think that the players in the tournament can expect all these extra services if they do nothing to support my business. If they choose not to pay for prizes, I shouldn’t have to add extra personnel to do scoring and all this other stuff which we have to pay them for and end up getting no compensation.” The controversy arose weeks back when Mr. Egan began setting prices for the tournament, which included cart rental fees that significantly exceeded the rates the city set, and the required purchase of prizes within the golf course’s pro shop, which he manages. The prices were not necessarily mandatory for the participants of the tournaments, but were understood to have been traditionally paid for by members of golf tournaments in the past. Also passed at the commission meeting was a motion to transfer $25,000 from the golf course’s reserve account to back up expenses that increases in the prices of the utilities at the course have caused. “The main reason why we have to go into the reserve account,” said Golf Course Superintendent Mike Hermanson, “is because everything that happens at this golf course plays off of our utility bills.” He added that with increases in gas prices, the course has to pay to operate their equipment combined with rising electric and oil prices, the transfer is necessary for the course to operate properly. oboss@thegardnernews.com |
| Appeared on Page 1 on 4/30/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 103) |
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