South Bend, Ind., officials recently told golf professionals at its municipal golf courses to stop giving private lessons on city property until the city figures out a solution to the problem. The city is considering whether the practice is an ethical violation and if it qualifies ghost employment, which is a Level 6 felony in Indiana.
A move to prevent golf professionals who work for the city from profiting from lessons on city time is drawing criticism from some in the golfing community, the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune reported.
At the same time, it’s raising complicated questions about ghost employment and the use of public resources for personal gain. Responding to a complaint from a resident, the city recently told its PGA professionals to stop giving private lessons at municipal facilities, including Erskine, Elbel and Studebaker golf courses, the Tribune reported.
According Aaron Perri, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of South Bend, the issue has to do with the pros giving lessons on city time. Historically, Perri said, “PGA pros were employed by the city, so they were being paid by taxpayer dollars. They were also giving lessons while on clock and receiving direct payment from customers, and that’s in violation of a few different things.”
Not only is it an ethical violation for a city employee to earn supplemental income while on the clock, but it may qualify as ghost employment as well, he said, a Level 6 felony in Indiana, the Tribune reported.
Whether that’s true depends, said Susan Gordon, with the State Board of Accounts. “With municipal golf courses, we always have to review the contract between the city and golf professional…to see what the city should be complying with there and the payments to be made,” Gordon said.
Still, to be safe, the city has instructed its pros to stop giving lessons on city property, on or off the clock, until it figures out a solution to the problem, Perri said. “We’re getting pretty close,” he said. “It could be as simple as letting them clock out.”
In the meantime, the situation has become frustrating for some golfers, the Tribune reported.
“They will not allow any PGA pros they employ to give lessons, because even though they’re doing it on their own time, they’re using ‘government property,’ ” local resident Frank Piontek complained recently.
Piontek became aware of the issue, he said, after he and a few friends tried to schedule lessons from a pro at Elbel. He described the situation as backwards, the Tribune reported.
“The PGA of America says its pros are there to promote the enjoyment of the game,” Piontek said. “So it seems the city is very deliberately saying they don’t want to promote the game.”
Andrew Roop, the PGA professional at the city-owned Eberhart-Petro Golf Course in Mishawaka, Ind., described the situation as “unsettling,” the Tribune reported.
“I’m the only golf pro in the city of Mishawaka, and I’m allowed to (give lessons) on company time,” Roop said. “That is part of our job as golf professionals to teach and grow the game.”
Phil Blasko, director of Parks and Recreation in Mishawaka, later clarified that Roop does not, in fact, give lessons on city time. “We do encourage him to give lessons, but not on city time,” Blasko said.
Either way, “All it’s doing is helping the facility,” Roop said. And the golf professionals as well, the Tribune reported.
“It’s kind of an incentive package depending on who you work for. You have your base pay and you get 100% of lesson income and teach as much as you want,” Roop said.
Roop, who previously worked at several private golf courses, earns about $47,000 as Mishawaka’s golf pro. South Bend’s pros earn between $45,000 and $47,000, the Tribune reported.
“It’s just a tough situation,” Roop said. “I feel bad for my fellow golf pros. I wish they would allow them to continue” giving lessons.
Ultimately, Perri said, that’s the goal. “The important point is that this is not something we’re trying to squelch,” he said. “It’s something we want to encourage, but just make sure it’s in compliance.”
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.