THE PUBLIC MIND: HIRING GOLF PROFESSIONAL NOT PUBLIC COURSE ANSWER

To the Editor:

This is in regard to the article published in the Friday, February 22nd issue of the Southeast Missourian in which the City Council addressed the issue of hiring a city golf course manager.

I feel that there is no need to have a golf pro at the J.C. Course. Hiring someone in this profession is costly; not only is his salary very high, but they usually get a revenue from the pro shop and the cart rental. Currently, this revenue is retained by the city and put back into the course.

Many of the golfers who currently patronize the course are the average golfer who don't wish to pay for the services of the golf pro. Golf pros are normally thought of as a frill at a Country Club, not a public course.

Many improvements have been made over the last three years to the course, such as concrete cart paths, automatic watering systems, and bermuda fairways. These improvements will capitalize on the playing condition of the course. The managers and grounds keepers deserve a chance to run the course, when it reaches its top condition. After all, they are the ones who have dealt with all of the headaches of construction and anxious golfers.

If any professional needs to be hired at this time, I feel that a person with a horticulture degree would be capable of solving many of the everyday landscaping problems that the course faces.

Caryn Michel

Cape Girardeau