Pay your way to play at SLO County’s golf courses so everyone can enjoy them

The article about the Dairy Creek Golf Course in The Tribune (“Dairy Creek Golf Course gets temporary reprieve,” Oct. 5) reminded me I have been considering a letter about our support of these public facilities.

I volunteer once a week at the Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course and play there twice a week, as well as attend special events. I see every day that I am at work, people that come just as the course has closed for the day and sneak in to play for free.

Now, I realize that this is a pubic facility and managed by city parks and recreation, but come on. If the course does not at least partially recoup some of what it costs to operate, then the city will probably either close it or maybe lease it to someone to operate it. If this happens we can all expect a facility that is in no way as fine a venue as we have there now. It does not cost that much to play this course. Those folks that come and don’t pay are inconsiderate. The greens have just had the ball marks that have occurred during that day’s play repaired and need to start healing.

I don’t know if everyone is aware, but a ball mark that is repaired just after it happens begins to heal right away. One that is not repaired for an hour needs overnight to start healing. One that is not fixed until the next day may never heal and the vegetation around it has to fill in that spot.

But at any rate, let’s all pay our own way and keep these facilities for all to enjoy.

This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 9:39 PM with the headline "Pay your way to play at SLO County’s golf courses so everyone can enjoy them."