Editorial: Valley greens fees are out of bounds

UNLESS you're wealthy, playing golf consistently throughout the year in Las Vegas is probably out of reach.

In his article in Friday's paper, "Fairway robbery," the Sun's Brian Hilderbrand pointed out that, on average, greens fees in Nevada are the nation's second highest at $84. The only state more expensive is Hawaii, by a dollar. In addition, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Las Vegas 264th out of 309 major U.S. cities based on access to quality, affordable public and municipal courses. Even in the summer, when greens fees are reduced because it's a slower period, a Sun review found it would cost an average of $68 to play 18 holes in the morning at one of the valley's 25 public courses.

It's not as if all the blame for the high costs in Las Vegas can be laid on the operators of the courses, however. The costs to build a golf course in such uninviting weather and soil can be doubled, meaning that these costs must be made up with higher fees. The problem, though, is the recent trend of local governments building public courses that resemble country clubs instead of municipal golf courses.

If a Las Vegan has the means to afford a high-priced round of golf, then he can go to one of the privately built golf courses. But when the government is constructing these courses, it should not be building palaces. What golfers in Las Vegas want is a place they can go that offers a quality round of golf without all the amenities that country clubs afford. Just as with any other sport, golf is a game that requires frequent play to stay sharp. High greens fees prevent all but the well-heeled from playing golf on a weekly basis.

With the emergence of young golfing sensations -- whether it's Tiger Woods in the PGA or South Korea's Se Ri Pak in the LPGA -- there has been much more interest among children who may have never before expressed an interest in the sport. No longer is golf seen as just a hobby for the white male executive, it's something that many Americans -- young and old -- would like to participate in.

Local government leaders are at a crossroads. If they build any golf courses in the future with public money, they should make them accessible to Las Vegans of modest means. But if government is unwilling or can't create golf courses with reasonable greens fees, then it should be setting aside that land for other purposes, such as building parks or other recreation areas for all valley residents to use.

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