City Spends $26K On Golf Course Study To Add More Holes
As approved in April, the Columbus Golf Authority has conducted a feasibility study for adding nine additional holes to the Oxbow Creek Golf Course. Now, contingent upon a final report from the vendor, officials approved payment for its $26,000 cost. Explore the full story to see how CCG is doubling-down on its ‘master plan’ for golf course expansion while our city’s employment rate continues to plummet.
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An artistic expression of the Seal of Columbus, Georgia atop two crossed golf clubs, all superimposed on a colorized image of the city’s Oxbow Creek Golf Course. The city recently conducted a $26K feasibility study to potentially bring the course from 9 holes up to 18 as part of its ‘master plan for golf courses’ while local employment rates continue to plummet as they have for 23 years.
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Muscogee Muckraker
By
Muscogee Muckraker
Published
August 1, 2023
Updated
January 8, 2024 2:54 PM
ET

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COLUMBUS, Ga. — City councilors recently approved payment for a recently-completed study that evaluated adding additional holes to the Oxbow Creek Golf Course.

The study, which employed an outside firm of “qualified golf industry professional consultants” under the direct supervision of the Columbus Golf Authority (CGA), came with a  $26,000 price tag to the taxpayer.

According to the city’s request for proposal for the project, RFP No. 23-0034, the study evaluated the potential of adding nine additional holes, bringing the course to the traditional full-sized course of 18 holes.

While the project’s original completion date was scheduled for May 15, an addendum shows the project was delayed by one month causing its completion date to be pushed back to June 15. 

With its $26,000 price tag, the study alone carries a cost of $2,888 per hole just to look at the course and see if adding a back 9 would even make financial sense to do. 

COST/BENEFIT

The study is more than just staring at the grass and seeing if holes can be drilled in it. The wording of the RFP states the  assessment sought “to identify opportunities and address the level of likely support from the local and surrounding markets.”

By that approach, it’s safe to say the city is diligently interested in  the results of a proper cost/benefit analysis based on current market conditions and projected profitability; the study isn’t just looking at the cost of installing nine more golf holes, but rather if that cost can be expected to generate new positive revenue based on Oxbow’s positioning within the regional golf course marketplace.

“CCG golf courses have experienced growth in rounds played and revenues since 2019. Oxbow Creek Golf Course opened in 1998. CCG seeks a plan to upgrade Oxbow Creek in a manner that is attractive to the local community and customer base,” said the CGA in the project’s RFP.

SCOPE

The specific scope of exactly how that study was conducted is also listed in the RFP as follows:

A. To assure the highest likelihood of financial success, the Consultant shall recommend to CCG what course of action should take place regarding 9 additional holes at Oxbow Creek.

B. The successful Consultant shall attend two (2) meetings to be dictated by project milestones. The meetings are essential to gain consensus on key issues as well as understanding project goals.

C. A PowerPoint presentation may be required as well for the distribution of information.

D. The Consultant shall study the local and surrounding golf market to assess the feasibility and success of this project.

According to the RFP, payment was only to be remitted to the consultants upon their delivery of the final report. Given that city council just approved the $26,000 payment on July 25, it is a fair deduction that the report has been satisfactorily delivered.

MASTER PLAN

The project at Oxbow Creek is part of a much-grander overhaul of the city’s golf courses, which began soliciting vendors in April.

As referenced on page seven of the agenda packet for the April 25, 2023 council meeting, the city’s “Master Plan for Golf Courses” seeks a much larger scope of work to be conducted through an additional request for proposal: RFP 23-0032.

That ‘master plan’ includes the anticipation of maintenance and renovation of existing and potentially-planned facilities, with service requisites for Bull Creek (36 holes), Oxbow Creek (9 holes) and Godwin Creek (9 holes). An included footnote also references the additional nine  holes to be potentially added at Oxbow Creek.

While the city’s labor force participation rate continues to decline into oblivion,, the Columbus Consolidated Government sure does seem to be doubling-down on its golf — kind of like every U.S. president in recent memory, which makes for a poetically-scalable yet objective comparison of Columbus to the nation  as a whole.

Perhaps local officials should consider that.

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

-30-

© 2023 Muscogee Muckraker. All rights reserved.

Be sure to follow Muscogee Muckraker on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see all the muck that’s fit to print as it breaks throughout the coming week.

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