I am a 24-year resident of Coconut Grove and an avid golfer. I have been playing Crandon Park almost weekly since Covid, and prior to that was generally playing the course about once a month. The recent improvements were much needed, but if the course had simply been well maintained to begin with, a $5 million waste of taxpayer dollars would not have been necessary.
Over the previous five years or more the course was simply neglected. The pro shop is useless, the restaurant is a dark cave that no one wants to sit in, and the practice area is substandard. I was able to fully experience the changes to the course on Dec. 2.
What was shocking to me and my playing partner were the new rates.
I seem to recall paying about $70 previously to walk the course over 18 holes in the winter with a Patron Card. Now this costs $125, a percentage increase of about 75 percent I may have some of these numbers slightly off, but I believe I’m pretty close.
What I fail to comprehend is what sort of business approach this Municipal Golf Course is operating under? Who raises rates for any product by such an absurd margin for the public who supports it?
So let’s get to the bottom of what a monumental waste of money this was and where this money actually went? You waste taxpayer money and then penalize those same taxpayers by asking them to pony up 75 percent more money?
This is insane! Perhaps you could do some investigative work and ascertain what has gone on here? Thank you.
Michael Langlois
