At Tuesday’s Executive Session workshop, the Becker City Council got to finally hear from the newly-formed golf advisory board after months of them meeting.

Mayor Lefty Kleis had been wrangling to get some sort of news on how the five-year Pebble Creek business plan was shaping up and what the future of the golf course looked like.

 

General Manager/Head Golf Professional Troy Malo gave the presentation. He pointed out the golf course was an important asset to the Becker community and a destination facility that should be utilized in all strategic plans for growth and development. He added the importance of not decreasing the “tools in the toolbox” to attract growth, to reinvest in the resource and make the golf course self-sustaining from an operating perspective, with the CIP requiring an investment from the city.

 

He also stressed the importance of promoting the golf course in a positive way to shine a better light on the community and its assets.

 

The golf advisory board is comprised of Malo, Robin Dingmann, Steve Whittaker, Andy Voller and Gary Obele. Under direction from council, the board was tasked to develop a business plan that would realistically bring the enterprise into the black in as short as five years.

 

According to Malo’s presentation and information, the group has accomplished that.

 

With projections estimated for an annual 25,000 rounds the next five years, Malo’s advisory board identified a way to get the golf course to at least break even by the year three — with year four and five seeing minimal profits. The 25,000 rounds is not unreasonable, Malo said, since in 2013 they pulled in 24,440 rounds and in 2012 they had 29,114 rounds.

 

Last year, Malo said rounds were down by around 5,000 due to some weather situations and the negative PR the golf course has sustained in the public eye.

 

The advisory board said the projections do not include depreciation.

 

Malo suggested the golf course be moved from the city’s enterprise fund into a special revenue fund, similar to the Becker Community Center — with a separate revolving capital fund base to more easily define the true cost of owning and operating a city-run golf course.

 

“That will allow for a more transparent representation of the numbers,” he said.

 

Malo stressed how important it is to continue to reinvest in the facility via the Master Plan and CIP, with the funds provided by a levy.

 

He also advised the city the golf course staff should continue to operate the food and beverages — which brings in extra revenue for the city.

 

Malo said he has been pleased with the success of the course’s two new offerings — FootGolf and FlingGolf.

 

FootGolf has been really good and FlingGolf a little slow, but we still have plenty of good weather days ahead to have things pick up,” he said.

 

FootGolf has brought in approximately five-to-six hundred extra rounds to Pebble Creek, more than Malo was expecting by about 200 rounds.

 

The Local 9 also offers golf with the “big cups” — eight-inch holes on the same greens as the standard ones.

 

Malo said the board suggested the golf course be more diligent in searching for usage of the clubhouse and banquet room, seeking outside sources to bring in weddings and other functions to utilize the available spaces.

 

Malo is especially excited about the future of the food and beverage part of the golf course — if the city decided to continue to run the restaurant in-house. He believes that after this year and its initial growing pains, the food and beverage part of the business should be a money-maker for the city once the kinks are ironed out.

 

F&B is projected to cost the city around $50,000 this year, but most of that is due to higher wages and benefits at commencement, depreciation and start-up costs. 

 

“Next year, we will be able to dial-in those expenses and cut down on the extra hours for staffing the place up front,” said Malo.

 

Malo does not plan to have the restaurant open during the winter season unless there is a corporate event or a wedding or similar social function request.

 

The city has posted the golf advisory report to their website and are looking for public comment on the report.

 

No formal action was taken by council at the executive session workshop Tuesday.