Site search
sponsored by
News
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — A few weeks ago, the Incline Village General Improvement District made national headlines with the implementation of its “Incline Village Golf Stimulus Plan,” which offers free golf, after 5 p.m., on certain days at the Championship and Mountain golf courses.
The Bonanza applauds the district for taking this fairly unprecedented approach, however unpopular it may be for some of the district’s long-time resident golfers.
IVGID knows a great deal about the trying to solve complex issues in the district. Whether it’s who has access to three beaches, how high or low the Rec Fee is or finding a balance between Incline’s golf clubs, it’s casual golfers and non-resident patrons, the district knows it cannot please everyone. It’s a given that a trustee or general manager will talk a few times a year about “playing Solomon” when trying to decide an issue.
But the potential positives of this plan far outweigh perceived negatives.
IVGID has stated numerous times it won’t shoulder financial burdens with this plan — no extra staff hours will be spent during the free golf times. In fact, the district stands to make some petty along the way, with food and beverage and cart sales.
As for course wear and tear, district senior staff has said that cart traffic is the biggest turf killer, hence the caveat that walkers get free golf. Furthermore, even if IVGID were to max out its free golf potential this summer and score an extra 2,800 rounds or so at each course, that still fits well within the grow-in mode approved earlier this year for the Champ, district officials said.
But really, this just comes down to the district doing something great for its residents and surrounding neighbors. Free golf at a pair of courses that bear a pretty hefty green fee can be a welcomed relief to many in the area who were a lot more well off — not to mention, employed — a summer ago. Add the ideas of free golf club rentals and free lessons for beginners, and you’ve got a winner, IVGID.
The underlying motive behind this idea is to build rounds at the courses, notably the Champ, and if this idea does that, then great for IVGID.
But if it doesn’t, then at the least the district was able to offer, for one summer, an escape.
The Bonanza applauds the district for taking this fairly unprecedented approach, however unpopular it may be for some of the district’s long-time resident golfers.
IVGID knows a great deal about the trying to solve complex issues in the district. Whether it’s who has access to three beaches, how high or low the Rec Fee is or finding a balance between Incline’s golf clubs, it’s casual golfers and non-resident patrons, the district knows it cannot please everyone. It’s a given that a trustee or general manager will talk a few times a year about “playing Solomon” when trying to decide an issue.
But the potential positives of this plan far outweigh perceived negatives.
IVGID has stated numerous times it won’t shoulder financial burdens with this plan — no extra staff hours will be spent during the free golf times. In fact, the district stands to make some petty along the way, with food and beverage and cart sales.
As for course wear and tear, district senior staff has said that cart traffic is the biggest turf killer, hence the caveat that walkers get free golf. Furthermore, even if IVGID were to max out its free golf potential this summer and score an extra 2,800 rounds or so at each course, that still fits well within the grow-in mode approved earlier this year for the Champ, district officials said.
But really, this just comes down to the district doing something great for its residents and surrounding neighbors. Free golf at a pair of courses that bear a pretty hefty green fee can be a welcomed relief to many in the area who were a lot more well off — not to mention, employed — a summer ago. Add the ideas of free golf club rentals and free lessons for beginners, and you’ve got a winner, IVGID.
The underlying motive behind this idea is to build rounds at the courses, notably the Champ, and if this idea does that, then great for IVGID.
But if it doesn’t, then at the least the district was able to offer, for one summer, an escape.
