Posted: 7:00 a.m. Friday,Jan. 23, 2015

City-owned golf courses profitable for firsttime since 1998

ByVivienne Machi

Staff Writer

HAMILTON — 

    For the first time since 1998, Hamilton’s golf courseswere sustainable and even profitable in 2014, and are on par to continue thattrend.

    While other area golf courses haveexperienced setbacks and closures in the past couple of years, Hamilton’s golf courses — Potter’s Park at 417 New London Roadand Twin Run at 2505 Eaton Road— are thriving. Together in 2014, they brought in $56,762 in profits for thecity, whereas in 2013, they were in the red by more than $60,000 .

    “The top two reasons for our success areprobably the conditions of our fields — which is a testament to oursuperintendents — and the increase in golf outings and tournaments at bothcourses,” said Adam Helms, city director of resident services and the golfcourses’ general manager.

    Hamiltonnative and longtime golfer Rich Young, 33, plays at Twin Run at least two tofour times a week, and says it’s great to see the courses operating in theblack, and not the red.     He lived in Naples, Fla.,for over six years on a private golf course, and returned to find his hometowncourses in much better shape than he remembered.

    “When you’re looking at two city parksgenerating that kind of revenue as more and more parks are shutting down,they’re out there (on the greens) working every day to make them better,” hesaid. He’s met golfers coming from northern Kentucky,Indiana, and north of Dayton on his rounds, he said, and all areimpressed by the quality of the city-run courses.

    “In the past, it would be like a weekbefore the greens would be cleared up, but now you can tell, whenever there’san issue, it’s like hey, if we need that, let’s go get it and make it happen,”he said.

    Helms said that City Manager Joshua Smithenlisted him in 2013 to revive the golf courses as a sustainable enterprisefund, and he began with the basics. He installed a point of sales system andbuilt a marketing database with the contact information of every golfer whowalks through the door.

    “We weren’t doing any analytics before,like tracking numbers of rounds and who’s playing when,” he said. A newconcessions/tournament manager position helped set up outings that accommodatethe core groups in peak morning hours, then shut down the course and haveanywhere from 60 to 150 golfers in the afternoon. There are currently threefull-time positions for the golf courses — one superintendent at each courseand the concessions/tournament manager — and seasonal workers fill inyear-round.

    Previously, City Council would set a fixedprice to play at the beginning of each year, but voted to give that authorityto the courses’ general manager. This enabled Helms to set up discounts atnon-peak times such as in the afternoons and out of season, and include dealssuch as the $25 lunch special, a “wildly popular” deal that pays for 18 rounds,a cart, and lunch.

    Helms detailed the golf courses’ successesin a presentation at the Jan. 14 City Council meeting. The courses saw a 34percent increase in rounds played and a 16 percent increase in cart rentals in2014 over 2013. Joint concession sales from both Potter’s Park and Twin   Run saw $27,519 in profits. Expenditures werealso higher in 2013, thanks to equipment and retirement expenses, otherwise2013 may have seen profits as well, Helms said.

    Several of Butler and Warren Counties’ area golf courses reported strugglingto stay open in late 2013. CrookedTree Golf Course in Mason closed its doors in November 2013 after reportingabout $150,000 to $200,000 deficits per year. And Middletown’s Weatherwax Golf Course has at least one more year of rounds left after local golf legend JimKraft signed a one-year lease this past October with course owner Myron BowlingAuctioneers Inc.

    The demise of area golf courses certainlyhelps Hamilton’sgreens, Helms admitted, but he also pointed to the competitive rates they offer— “we try to stay 10 percent under the regional average,” he said — and thecapital improvements they made to their greens in 2013.

    The 2014 golf fund balance at year’s endwas $259,538, compared to 2012’s $135,474, and Helms is optimistic about thefinances moving forward. Future investments include replacing the greens’lawnmowers, and replacing each course’s irrigation system.

    City Council praised the courses’ positiveprogress at the Jan. 13 meeting, crediting Helms’ marketing strategies and foodservice initiatives.

    Twin Run Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72,6,165 yard golf course with a 120 slope rating; Potter’s Park is an 18-hole,par 69, 5,118 yard golf course with a 111 slope rating.