To make up for the $4.6 billion revenue shortfall, the North Carolina Senate Finance Committee proposed a 7.5 percent state sales tax to recreation and entertainment activities. That would mean an increase in greens fees and private-club membership dues.
From all indications, however, the proposed tax on recreation, which includes golf, has been put on hold says the Winston-Salem Journal. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be brought up again.
With the proposal, golfers, golf pros and course superintendents have spoken up to the politicians in Raleigh. “It would hit us very hard,” said Mark Hartis, a golf pro at Reynolds Park GC, Winston Salem, N.C. “It would be something that if it took hold we would have to lay off employees.”
It would be worse at struggling Pine Brook Country Club, according to Tony Johnson, the General Manager. Pine Brook, which has opened up the course for public play during the week in hopes of raising more revenue, probably couldn’t afford it, he said.
“I did some math on the tax hike and it would impact us about $60,000 or $70,000, and I’m being honest, it would hurt us big time,” Johnson told the Journal.
Golf pro Rick Murphy, Del Ratcliffe—who owns five courses in the Charlotte area and is president of the N.C. Golf Course Owners Association—and several other members of a group called the Carolina Golf Alliance went to Raleigh earlier this month to meet with lawmakers.
“We spent all day there talking to senators about what this tax hike would mean,” Murphy said. “From what we’ve heard they say it’s not on the fast track, but that could change. We just don’t want them to slide it in there, and then it would become a reality.”
Murphy said he has been busy with petitions, faxes and e-mails making sure that the politicians are hearing from the masses. Hartis he has put up fliers at Reynolds Park to alert golfers of the proposal. The Carolinas Golf Alliance has a Web site called www.golfkeepsusgoing.com where it explains how to spread the word about the proposed tax.
“I know there are a lot of courses in our state that have already closed because of the economy, and if this goes through there will be a lot more that will have to close,” Murphy said.
According to a 2007 survey financed by course owners in the state, golf has a $5.3 billion impact on the state annually. There are about 70,000 jobs related to golf, according to the survey, and there are about 550 courses in the state.
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