More golfers would help Callippe Around Town, posted by Editor, Pleasanton Weekly Online, on Mar 1, 2013 at 11:19 am
Without doubt, Pleasanton's municipal Callippe Preserve golf course is one of the best public courses in the Bay Area. It just needs more golfers. The course is losing about $1.4 million a year, the amount the city must takes from its fund to pay down the $22 million in bonds still outstanding. With 14 years still to go on the bonds that the city floated to pay for the $34.5 million course that opened in November 2005, some are suggesting that the city should dip into its $25 million capital reserve fund and pay off the bonds. In late 2011, the city became eligible to call the bonds but was reluctant to draw down the reserve in the midst of an economic downturn. Although the city has never had to use the reserves to meet payroll and service requirements, neighboring cities have. Those cities have closed fire stations, reduced workforces and seen their outstanding debts soar.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, March 1, 2013, 12:00 AM
Posted by txgordo, a resident of another community, on Mar 1, 2013 at 11:19 am
Here's how you raise revenue - lower the greens fees! Then, if you are too crowded, you raise them slightly, until you find the right balance. The article states the the fees are 'competitive', which is clearly a code word for 'higher'. If you raise the greens fees now, more people will seek to play golf elsewhere, and revenues will go down. The economics are simple. I don't understand why, in an opinion piece, that you might not suggest that.
Posted by Ptowngolf, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Mar 3, 2013 at 8:24 am
Txgordo - you are absolutely right. Love the course but the greens fees are too pricey. My group looks for deals so we can golf more often. We never see any deals here. Callippe is not a country club but they try to act like one.
Posted by steve, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Mar 3, 2013 at 4:35 pm
I went up there the other day as a single, they had room told me i was next up , however when i told them that i wanted to only play nine hole ( i had to pick up my kids) The guy in the pro shop said sorry we don't have a nine hole rate ? what
i live in pleasanton my taxes helped pay/paying for the place.
so i went to las positis in livermore they were glad to take my money
Posted by Tennessee Jed, a resident of the Jensen Tract neighborhood, on Mar 6, 2013 at 7:30 am
Contrary to popular belief, Callippe does have a nine hole rate Web Link, as shown in the link. I play golf all over the Bay Area, and find the rates at Callippe to be about what they are elsewhere in the $35-$45 range.
Callippe is not an easy layout, and has what I think are the toughest 3 finishing holes anywhere I have played. This course will challenge every aspect of your game, and demand good use of all your clubs.
Other than slow play with the later tee times, which is common to most all heavily used courses, overall course condition is what matters, as everything else is meaningless once the round is underway.
I am sorry if some have had a less-than-satisfactory experience at Callippe, but I find the folks to be very friendly and engaging.
Now, if they could only do something with those greens...
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