The City Council of Rapid City, S.D. is scheduled to discuss allowing additional recreational options requested by residents at the city-owned course. But the local golf association says activities like cross-country skiing and mountain biking could destroy the course.
A local golf association is objecting to a proposal that would allow wintertime activities like cross-country skiing at city-owned Meadowbrook Golf Course in southwest Rapid City, S.D., the Rapid City Journal reported.
On January 13, the city’s Public Works Committee voted unanimously to discuss the proposal with the full 10-member Rapid City Council, the Journal reported, after several residents requested the added recreational options and prompted the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to begin a formal discussion on the matter, according to city Recreation Manager Doug Lowe.
But golfers fear that winter recreational activities will effectively destroy the course, the Journal reported, and say that anyone using the grounds should have to pony up leisure-time fees.
“No freebies,” said Craig Weber, a member of the Meadowbrook Golfers Association. “If you approve this, how are you going to control it? It’s just not correct to let them out there.”
The discussion centered first on allowing only cross-country skiing and the use of a special snow-worthy mountain bike, a “Fat Bike,” in certain areas of the golf course, the Journal reported. That meant the activities would be kept away from the greens and tee areas, and would be conducted mostly during the golfing off-season.
But a handful of golfers who attended the Public Works Committee meeting shook their heads when it was decided that all winter recreational activities on the golf course should be considered, the Journal reported.
Committee member Brad Estes said he applauded the idea of taking an existing seasonal facility and making it useful year-round. Claims of damage from activities that rely on snow pack are seemingly unfounded, Estes added.
“Obviously, you’re not going to cross-country ski when there’s no snow pack,” he said.
Those opposing the idea didn’t buy it, however, the Journal reported.
Tom Johnson said he joined the golfers association to bring Meadowbrook back to its glory days as one of the nation’s top 75 municipal golf courses, adding that the course could even be listed as the best course in town.
“I think we can improve Meadowbrook and improve that stature,” Johnson said. “There is really no positive impact that this activity would have to the golf course. Therefore, I’m against allowing this.”
Weber told the Journal that he pays more than $900 annually to play golf at Meadowbrook for about nine months a year. His points were simple: Don’t allow it, but if the city does, those participating in other activities should have to pay at least $100 a month to use the course.
Others questioned whether there was enough snow to pursue the idea.
“The snow base is just not there,” said Mark Magbuhat, also a Meadowbrook Golfers Association committee member. “There are alternatives for these so-called cross-country skiers.
“There’s trails up north [where] we send our skiers [and] snowboarders,” Magbuhat added. “We send everybody up north where it stays nice and cold, and the snow stays a little bit longer than in Rapid City.”
The golfers association should have a say in the matter, Magbuhat told the Journal, because the golfers’ fees operate the course and keep it maintained. And their input is especially needed given a potential for damage of the course.
“It’s a pay-for-use facility,” he said. “Even with the signs that are posted on the edge of the golf course that say no walkers, no dogs, no nothing. You still see them out there, and we have to chase them off.”
At least one attendee of the Public Works meeting, however, begged to differ, the Journal reported.
Judith Kennedy said the fees golfers pay only cover the “copious amounts of water and maintenance” that the course needs during the summer, and added that they don’t make golfers the sole benefactors of the public grounds.
“The skiers are noted for not doing damage,” Kennedy, who said she was a season pass holder at the Terry Peak Ski Area. “It would seem to me as ludicrous to assume that when I can’t be skiing at Terry Peak, I should preclude any hiker or biker from using those trails in the summer.”
KOTA-TV of Rapid City also reported that Jesse Hansen, described as a “veteran cross-country skier,” also expressed support for the idea and contended that the activities would not damage the course, if conditions were imposed that a two- to three-inch snow base was needed and the skiers and bikers were kept away from tee boxes and greens.
“It’s a good revenue source for the golf courses, and a great way for people to get out and enjoy the golf course the other six months of the year,” Hansen said.
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