Fairfield committee resists expanding Monday tournaments, considers raising rates to boost revenue

Fairfield’s golf committee debated whether to add more outings or raise rates after staff reported strong demand and elevated revenues.

“As you'll see from Anthony's report, the numbers remain strong,” Mr. Biganet (presenter) told the committee. Staff reported a waiting list for outings and regular sellouts, and members noted Mondays are heavily booked. One committee member argued against expanding outing slots because weekday tee-time competition makes adding events difficult.

Staff also flagged that a substantial portion of recent surplus was driven by the driving range. “We were up over about $525,000 overall over the budgeted numbers,” Anthony Calivers (staff member) said, citing the fiscal-year actuals. Members discussed raising outing rates (nonresident and event pricing) instead of expanding the number of events as a way to increase revenue while minimizing operational strain.

The committee did not adopt a policy change at the meeting; members asked staff to explore rate options, timing for rate-setting in December when rates are set, and possible coordination with the Board of Finance if additional revenue targets are pursued.

Next steps: staff will return with rate-adjustment options and financial analysis ahead of the December rate-setting process.