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facility (complete with clubhouse and driving range), using this method. In nearby San Joaquin County, officials and a developer are negotiating a similar arrange- ment on an 18 -hole regulation facil- ity that would be constructed within one of the county's parks. "Land is one of the most ex- pensive items in golf course de- velopment today," says Palermo who notes that there are some 18 - hole regulation public facilities be- ing built today that cost upwards of $8 million, mainly because of the cost of the land. "However, for municipalities that already have the land," he says, "the cost can be as low as one million dollars, depending on the amount of earth that has to be moved and the quality of the clubhouse and other amenities desired." Normally, a regulation 18 -hole golf course needs 130 to 150 acres; an executive course needs 70 to 100 acres; and an 18-hole/par-3 course needs 50 to 80 acres. When a municipality does not have the necessary land, it can take several other approaches. In these cases, the municipality's partner is a real estate developer. "More and more real estate de- velopers recognize that a golf course can significantly increase the value of the property surrounding it," says Palermo. In many cases, he says, real estate developers will offer a municipality a "turn -key" proposal. Here the de- veloper donates a portion of his or her acreage and builds the golf course. The municipality in turn reimburses the developer the cost of constructing the course and the municipality then operates and maintains the course. Such was the case in Brevard County, Florida, where the county joined forces with the developers of the Savannahs, a 288 -home subdivision and 18 -hole/ par -72 golf course, complete with 80 60 40 20 0 Types of Golfers 78.8% Public Daily Fee Municipal Private *Figures will not total 100% due to multiple responses clubhouse, maintenance area, park- ing, and a driving range. The developer is recovering his cost of the donated land via the pre- miums he is now able to attach to the price of lots that abut the golf course. He also has significantly en- hanced the overall appeal of his project with an attractive recreation- al amenity. A local bank welcomed the opportunity to participate in the joint venture between the de- veloper and Brevard County. The golf industry has long been aware of how important public golf is to the game's continuing health and welfare. This awareness, however, reached new heights this past November at Golf Summit '88, a three-day meeting hosted by the NGF in Ponte Vedra, Florida. More than 400 industry leaders gathered to discuss and finalize action plans for maximizing the game's growth potential between now and the vear 2000. Thev almost unanimously agreed on the strategic importance of golf course development to the future growth and enjoyment of the game in the United States. "As a result," says Palermo, "NGF has been directed by its board to accelerate and broaden its efforts to assist those communities that do not have the technical wherewithal to properly plan, build, and operate a municipal course on their own." This effort is being coordinated by the NGF through the National Golf Corporation, a special sub- sidiary created in January 1988 to provide a full range of golf course development services from local market demand analvses to full- scale project feasibility and op- erational studies. According to Palermo, the United P&R/MAY 1989/29