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Started By
Message
re: Santa Maria and all of BREC
Posted on 3/24/26 at 10:25 pm to robzilla55
Posted on 3/24/26 at 10:25 pm to robzilla55
As I seem to recall, BREC courses are open all day long every day of the year except for two holidays. Access is a main goal of municipalities, so if they have to use a shoehorn to get more golfers on the course, consider it part of their mission statement. It wasn't too long ago that the news was that BREC golf courses were losing money... well, now they aren't.
My understanding is that taxes you pay to BREC go to the organization as a whole, not just to the golf course. Thus, they charge you fees to play to compensate for their entire budget. Of any department within BREC, my understanding is that golf has the highest level of self-sufficiency... that seems to be a fairly decent job of using your tax dollars.
One other thing has happened in the golf industry; fewer people have gone into college and certification that then filtered into the golf business.
Most now are in the lawn care business or peripheral golf entertainment. It is an uphill battle for golf courses to find qualified help.
Having worked in a golf maintenance group at one time, I got to the golf course at dark, worked the opening holes in the dark. I always had to hurry and try to finish up just basic stuff before the first few groups caught up to me. Crowded courses are good, of course, it is why BREC can keep their prices where they are. Reduce rounds and up will go your fees.
As a golfer, I want to see better conditions, people taking care of the course properly, a four-hour round of golf... but if I want to see that, then maybe I want to get involved in making my voice heard in person to the people who want to hear your opinion. Might be surprised what that will do. Don't give up just because one person doesn't respond. Keep at it.
My understanding is that taxes you pay to BREC go to the organization as a whole, not just to the golf course. Thus, they charge you fees to play to compensate for their entire budget. Of any department within BREC, my understanding is that golf has the highest level of self-sufficiency... that seems to be a fairly decent job of using your tax dollars.
One other thing has happened in the golf industry; fewer people have gone into college and certification that then filtered into the golf business.
Most now are in the lawn care business or peripheral golf entertainment. It is an uphill battle for golf courses to find qualified help.
Having worked in a golf maintenance group at one time, I got to the golf course at dark, worked the opening holes in the dark. I always had to hurry and try to finish up just basic stuff before the first few groups caught up to me. Crowded courses are good, of course, it is why BREC can keep their prices where they are. Reduce rounds and up will go your fees.
As a golfer, I want to see better conditions, people taking care of the course properly, a four-hour round of golf... but if I want to see that, then maybe I want to get involved in making my voice heard in person to the people who want to hear your opinion. Might be surprised what that will do. Don't give up just because one person doesn't respond. Keep at it.
0
Posted on 3/24/26 at 11:55 pm to robzilla55
quote:
just because in a pro shop guys eye it can be done doesn't mean that golf courses can actually do it.
Yea man. No way it can be done. Keep up the great work at copper.
Posted on 3/25/26 at 5:51 am to BallChamp00
They are doing a good job out there at coppermill. nice fun golf course. love the 6 6 6 design
Posted on 3/25/26 at 12:35 pm to robzilla55
quote:
They are doing a good job out there at coppermill. nice fun golf course. love the 6 6 6 design
Same, wish more courses were 6 6 6 design. Having extra par 5s are great.
And to the other point in this thread, yes those groups book those tee times the day they become available, the issue is they don't cancel the ones they don't use. I live in SM and it's impossible to get a tee time before noon if you don't book it 13 days out. Every now and then someone will actually cancel a booking and you can grab a saturday or sunday AM time the day before but it's very rare. I walk onto the course mid Sat or Sun AM and there are lulls in play at times because of groups that don't show. If they would allow walk ups it would be fine, but the pro shop has turned me away multiple times staying all times were booked even though they had no shows.
They need to charge $5-$10 to hold a time, it can go against your green fees. I think charging something to hold a tee time will stop alot of that behavior. If you can't beat em, join em.. I guess I'm going to have to start booking a SAT and SUN AM tee time every weekend just in case I want to use it.
This post was edited on 3/25/26 at 12:39 pm
Posted on 3/27/26 at 7:37 am to lilyankems
And SM will be even more crowded after LSU closes in May. BR has lost 81 holes of public golf in the past five years at a time when golf is growing following COVID
Posted on 3/27/26 at 7:45 am to Bendelow
Dumas and LSU, what are the others?
Posted on 3/27/26 at 8:11 am to LSUStjames
quote:
They need to charge $5-$10 to hold a time, it can go against your green fees. I think charging something to hold a tee time will stop alot of that behavior. If you can't beat em, join em.. I guess I'm going to have to start booking a SAT and SUN AM tee time every weekend just in case I want to use it.
What you do is…. You charge for the damn tee time if they no show. If you want to hold a tee time 2 weeks out you put down a CC. If you no show, whoever has the CC down gets charged 50% of the 4somes tee times. SM only needs 48hrs to get that booked, if not only 24. To have a 4some or 2 no show on a Saturday and you not fill it is ridiculous.
shite, we do stay and plays in Biloxi a couple times a year. You can’t no show or not cancel. I think you have around 72hrs in advance or there is a fee that everyone will get charged if you can’t make it. Hell, one year a hurricane was coming up the shoot. I called the week of and was like…. We don’t want to cancel, but I mean there’s this whole hurricane deal. Ha
You can’t frick the course b/c you’re an a-hole or something came up and you can’t make the tee time. Also, the leadership can’t be fricking lazy and miss prime time tee times.
To piggy back off of an earlier post. The point of them closing one day and having them charge more is what I think a lot of people are okay with. If I drive to Copper to get on, I’ll have to pay $80 and drive to Copper. If I get invited to UClub, I have to drive out there and pay essentially $100. I drive by SM to go to both courses and pay more to play those courses. I’d pay $80 if it were in better shape or could get on before noon and not drive 35 minutes to an hour. Same could be said for the Island and Carter.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 9:27 am to HebertFest08
If BREC did the stuff (at SM and Webb) we want them to do to become semi private level courses. People would be coming here and going to the airwaves to bitch about it.
When they do try to marshal the people push back and bitch about it. If they shut the course down on Monday people would whine and complain. If they charged for tee times there would be wailing and bitching at Brec public meetings.
When they do try to marshal the people push back and bitch about it. If they shut the course down on Monday people would whine and complain. If they charged for tee times there would be wailing and bitching at Brec public meetings.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 9:29 am to Bawpaw
I don’t know the order of courses lost nor the timing but we’ve at least lost the Bluffs, briarwood, Fairwood, Shenandoah, Sherwood, Howell, dumas, LSU, and soon to be city.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 10:21 am to Bendelow
quote:
And SM will be even more crowded after LSU closes in May
Genuine question: How many rounds did LSU actually get?
I would think most of those rounds go to webb, etc. rather than SM.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 10:22 am to Camp Randall
Okay. You said last five years. Most of those you listed were closed way longer than five years ago.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 10:23 am to Camp Randall
Man…. I think if they just put forth a little effort. They don’t have to do semi-private level stuff.
I mean…. Use a frickin aerator a couple times a year on the tee boxes and fairways, throw some sand. That’s basic shite. Close 2 mondays a month to get shite done? Charge $10-$20 more a round?
I say that understanding that the process entails a little more than an aerator and sand…. But I don’t think it’s a out of the question to have that at the “premier” public course in BR.
People are going to bitch no matter what. You have to do what you need to do to put forth a good product or you’re going to end up with SM being Webb and people wearing blue jeans, t shirts and discarding lung darts on greens. Of which I saw at least 7-8 on the greens at Webb.
I mean…. Use a frickin aerator a couple times a year on the tee boxes and fairways, throw some sand. That’s basic shite. Close 2 mondays a month to get shite done? Charge $10-$20 more a round?
I say that understanding that the process entails a little more than an aerator and sand…. But I don’t think it’s a out of the question to have that at the “premier” public course in BR.
People are going to bitch no matter what. You have to do what you need to do to put forth a good product or you’re going to end up with SM being Webb and people wearing blue jeans, t shirts and discarding lung darts on greens. Of which I saw at least 7-8 on the greens at Webb.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 10:43 am to Bawpaw
quote:
Okay. You said last five years. Most of those you listed were closed way longer than five years ago.
Okay. Where in my post did I say the last five years? I regret trying to put forth the info now. frick you do your own research. :)
Posted on 3/27/26 at 11:22 am to chad32
In order to fix BREC golf you need to separate the Golf from the 5013C that BREC relies so heavily for funding.
The golf courses are given a "Budget" at the beginning of the year and that is it, none of the money from Greens Fees or cart rentals go back into the golf courses. That money goes into the general fund for BREC so they can spend it on summer camps and all the other crap they try to make the parish feel good about.
They need to operate as a separate entity within BREC so they can operate the courses correctly with staffing and non budgetary restraint. When was the last time the grill was open at Santa Maria? the last three times I've been all on Fri/Sat/Sun, there is nobody working the Grill.
The golf courses are given a "Budget" at the beginning of the year and that is it, none of the money from Greens Fees or cart rentals go back into the golf courses. That money goes into the general fund for BREC so they can spend it on summer camps and all the other crap they try to make the parish feel good about.
They need to operate as a separate entity within BREC so they can operate the courses correctly with staffing and non budgetary restraint. When was the last time the grill was open at Santa Maria? the last three times I've been all on Fri/Sat/Sun, there is nobody working the Grill.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 11:25 am to BeaverPRO
quote:
When was the last time the grill was open at Santa Maria?
I think it closed within a year of the redo of the course. This is likely what will happen to the stupid commercial ideas Sasaki has put forth for City Park.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 2:25 pm to chad32
Public golfers in BR do not want to golf on any day that isn't a weekend. They don't want to golf when anything else is going on like LSU sports or hunting or youth sports.
But, most importantly golfers in BR want cheap arse golf and taxpayers or LSU to pay for it.
Cannot blame BREC much.
But, most importantly golfers in BR want cheap arse golf and taxpayers or LSU to pay for it.
Cannot blame BREC much.
Posted on 3/27/26 at 2:36 pm to lsu13lsu
quote:
Public golfers in BR do not want to golf on any day that isn't a weekend.
quote:
They don't want to golf when anything else is going on like LSU sports or hunting or youth sports.
I’ve played on game days plenty of times and it’s almost always packed. Plenty of people don’t give a shite about college sports.
Posted on 3/28/26 at 2:25 pm to DarkDrifter
You checked tee times before noon on a Friday and thought you’d find something? Kinda a nothing burger comment haha
Posted on 3/28/26 at 3:28 pm to Camp Randall
I accidentally responded to you rather than Bendelow. Calm down.
Posted on 4/1/26 at 5:23 am to BeaverPRO
You nailed it.
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