Meadowlakes simplifies Hidden Falls golf fees, lifelong memberships
One of the issues was a hodgepodge of different fees, categories and structures that have been instituted over the years, and the council decided Friday it was time to start streamlining.
“It almost looks like a shotgun was used (to create all the fee categories and structures),” said Steve Hatch, director of golf. “We need to simplify things.”
As the new owners of Hidden Falls Country Club, formerly the Meadowlakes Country Club, the council has been learning a lot about the business, members said.
Since purchasing the club in March for $2.93 million, the city has been working to improve the facilities, which include an 18-hole golf course, a club house, tennis courts and a restaurant. Under Hatch’s leadership, the country club is also revamping its food and beverage service.
The many different membership and non-membership fees, categories and structures makes it difficult to attract golfers to the facility, Hodge said.
Since being hired as the director of golf, Hatch has been reviewing the various ordinances and rules of the country club. He’s also met wit members of the Hidden Falls Golf Course Policy Oversight Committee.
At Friday’s meeting, he recommended reducing the amount of fee categories and structures and offering rates that might entice more golfers to use the club, including offering a 20-percent reduction of green and cart fees to guests of members.
Hatch said the discount should be extended to country club social members who want to play a round as well.
“We want to try and encourage members to bring guests,” Hatch said. “That’s what we need to do — bring in nonmembers to play.”
Hatch also recommended the course switch from a weekday rate and weekend rate for nonmembers and adopt one fee schedule equal to the weekday fees.
As he looked over the various enticements to attract golfers to the course, Hatch said he found it was next to impossible for the employees in the pro shop to determine which were which. There were some coupon promotions which encouraged people to play a certain number of rounds and some that encouraged members to bring guests.
But there was a time element attached to the promotions, Hatch said.
He told the council the answer would simply be to cut those coupon books and offer a fee structure that encouraged people to show up and play.
“This is also an easier way to advertise,” he said. “It makes it simple.”
As for the membership initiation fee, Hatch recommended $150 across the board. The bulk of the monthly membership fees will remain the same with the exception of the winter Texans’.
“Under winter Texans, there were several options based on the months they are here,” Hatch said. “I eliminated those and went with one — October through April.”
Other reductions included the number of promotional fees and programs.
“All of those are mostly unmanageable,” he said.
Hidden Falls Country Club POC chairman Dale Fixsen said the committee supported Hatch’s recommendations.
“We were all in favor of it,” he said. “Our general opinion is it is way too cumbersome (the way the fees are structured now).”
In related news, the country club recently hired a new food services manager and chef. City Administrator Johnnie Thompson said the push to re-establish the restaurant side of the country club is on a four-month trial. He said this should give city and country club staff a good idea whether the food service side is self-sustainable.
After those four months, Thompson said he will prepare a packet with all the numbers from the country club restaurant and submit it to the council for their review.
“Then you can make a decision (on the future of the restaurant),” he said.
Mayor John Aaron said he felt all the pieces were in place to make the restaurant a success; now it’s a matter of letting people know about the facility and the quality of food and service.
“This is where you build a ball park and how they come,” he said. “(Hatch) has built the ball park and I believe they’ll come.”
daniel@thepicayune.com