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W <br />Nv�c <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />AGENDA ITEM <br />Department of General Services <br />ORTDA <br />SANDRIDGE GOLF <br />Date: <br />April 21, 2023 <br />To: <br />The Honorable Board of County Commissioners <br />Thru: <br />Michael Zito, Assistant County Administrator <br />Beth Powell, Interim General Services Director <br />From: <br />Bela Nagy, Golf Professional Sandridge Golf Club <br />Subject: <br />Sandridge Golf Course Group Policy <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Indian River County owns and operates Sandridge Golf Club, a 36 -hole daily fee golf facility. Over <br />the past 5 years, revenue and round counts at Sandridge Golf Club have steadily risen to record <br />numbers with over 119,000 annual rounds in fiscal year 2021-22. The Golf Club utilizes a tee time <br />reservation system that allows patrons to book tee times 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Tee times <br />are available on a first come, first serve basis and fall into 3 tiers of users. County resident <br />cardholders pay an annual fee for the privilege of making tee times up to 8 days in advance at a <br />discounted rate. The general public is limited to making tee time reservations 4 days in advance at <br />a non -discounted rate. The third tier includes organized user groups of 16 or more players who are <br />often County cardholders. Group League play has traditionally enjoyed reserving tee times up to <br />one year in advance under a user group agreement; to date Staff has been able to balance the <br />competing demand from groups and individual cardholders. Group League play provides steady <br />revenue to the golf club during non -peak times. Managed league play is beneficial to the efficient <br />operations of the golf club and reduces wasted tee times Sandridge Golf Club does not currently <br />charge a league membership fee or a premium advance booking fee for groups. <br />DESCRIPTIONS AND CONDITIONS: <br />Traditionally, staff has maintained adequate spacing for Group League play, County Card holders, <br />and the general public to play. As these groups and the community have grown, the gaps have <br />narrowed. As demand for tee times continues to increase, especially during the peak season, the <br />need for a league play booking premium fee has become appropriate to place value on the ability to <br />reserve blocks of tee times up to 1 year in advance. County cardholders are limited to one tee time <br />per day up to 8 days in advance. For Group Leagues wishing to continue with the practice of <br />setting up advanced tee times and pre -book the year, it is proposed herein to establish a booking <br />convenience fee to separate the Group League booking privilege from the County Cardholder tier. <br />The goal is to have Group League play managed efficiently so that there are no wasted tee times, as <br />well as to maintain a balance of tee time inventory for County Card holders and the general public. <br />At the most recent assembly of the Florida Municipal Golf Association, Staff participated in a <br />round table discussion with golf courses experiencing similar tee time reservation challenges. As a <br />result, there are now several public golf courses that are evaluating a group reservation advance <br />booking premium fee. <br />28 <br />