If you think a 10 percent unemployment rate is bad, consider 66.7 percent. That would be the jobless rate for PGA golf professionals in St. Joseph if Mike Habermehl can't renew his contract with the city of St. Joseph.
There's a real chance Mr. Habermehl will leave Fairview Golf Course after 25 years. Also, St. Joseph Country Club announced last week it would part ways with club pro John Leimbach, who had been there 17 years.
Duffers all over town must be shaking their heads and uttering, "Wow, the economy has really hurt my company but, hey, at least I'm not a golf pro."
Mr. Leimbach's departure seems to boil down to simple economics. Although the club doesn't release financial information, word is that St. Joseph Country Club has struggled with revenue and expenses for some time. As businesses and corporations cut back during the tough economy, perks such as country club memberships are often eliminated. Fewer paying members equals less revenue, which eventually equals job losses.
That equation seems to hold true, whether you receive the bad news while wearing Dickies Work Wear or a LaCoste shirt with matching Greg Norman pants.
While Mr. Leimbach's job status has been determined, Mr. Habermehl's future is less sure.
The city claims that Mr. Habermehl has a sweetheart deal. Other pros say the contract is so good that it's "non-existent nowadays." The city also points out that it subsidizes Fairview. According to the city's own figures, Fairview brought in $368,000 this past year and spent $385,000.
Parks director Bill McKinney would like to divert all the revenue from cart rentals, concessions and the driving range and into the city's parks department budget. The money streams would push Fairview revenue to more than $590,000, and Mr. McKinney assures us that all the money would be put back into the course.
Assurances are nice, but would the city find it too tempting to "borrow" Fairview money to pay for services elsewhere?
In addition, it just seems unfair to drastically change Mr. Habermehl's contract when he's toiled for two decades to put Fairview in a position to earn that kind of money. Some remember when Fairview was little more than a patch of weeds, and green fees were collected only when the clubhouse boys remembered to show up for work that morning.
While I don't pretend to speak for Mr. Habermehl, and no contracts should be negotiated through the newspaper, it's important to reach a deal that both sides can live with. Maybe Mr. Habermehl should give something up and at least help the course break even. Maybe the city should acknowledge that Mr. Habermehl should have a favorable contract because he's earned it.
In any case, the sport of golf, always an expensive pastime, is struggling nationwide. Industry reports say more courses are closing than opening, the number of rounds played has decreased and the number of golfers is declining.
According to Golf 20/20, an affiliate of the World Golf Foundation, the industry's salvation lies in attracting younger golfers by providing them with clubs and competing in junior programs.
Junior golf? Hmm, that sounds familiar.
Oh, that's right, Mr. Habermehl ran a successful junior program at Fairview.
Steve Booher's column runs on Monday. He can be reached at steveb@npgco.com.
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heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
i like mr mckinney but feel that mr habermehl is getting treated wrongly. there is NO WAY that the golf course money will stay at the golf course....... and with the city running the course the revenue will undoubtedly fall off.
is the city willing to negotiate, or is this the only offer on the table? why can't the pro agree to pay for some use of the facilities?
October 5, 2009 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Trixie says...
The Fairview pro makes over $200K? and the course fell just $17K short of breaking even? It appears that there is room on both sides to negotiate a better cost/revenue sharing arrangement IF they can get past the all-or-nothing mentality.
October 5, 2009 at 7:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dges says...
WOW , lets not forget these are jobs only provide a service too a select few, its not exactly a job that contributes to society as a whole, school teachers ,factory workers and numerous other professions that are nessesary in every day life for example , can we live without knowing our neighbor that plays golf dosent have the perfect back swing or follow through,,, i think so!! the kind of money they make would fill alot of potholes around this dump of a city, this shouldnt even be an issue if you really take a look at it, It only shows how jacked up the priorites of this town really are!!! Sorry golf pros its probably time to get a real job ,as this is actually a no brainer kind of issue to the majority of hardworking folks in this city!!!
October 5, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
saturnlady says...
I know economy is tough and it is almost the winter time, but I really hope Mr. McKinney and Mr. Habermehl work out their deals, and I am looking forward to a happy ending. After all, 25 years' loyalty means a lot to the most people. Mr. Habermehl developed the popular junior golf program and he is a good pro coach. If Mr. Habermehl remains at Fairview, I will let my kids start junior golf program next spring.
I support Mr. Habermehl.
October 5, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rk92559 says...
Ha Ha..catchy headline. Someone losing thier job is always good for a laugh. If it wasn't for Mike building the course to what it is today, there would be no revenue, it would have been another abandoned pasture. We have better things to spend our money on? Like Bike races? Should we close all the Pools and City parks and baseball fields? They are just there for taxpayers to enjoy and just cost money for upkeep. Maybe we should do away with the tennis courts and Highschool football...all that upkeep and coaches we pay for would fix alot of potholes. I hope that a solution is found because Mike helped turn Fairview into something, one of the few things, St Joseph can be proud of.
October 5, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
one of the few things st joseph can be proud of.....?
i think that the things you mention in your post are all things st joseph should be proud of.
surely , you are using hyperbole here?
October 5, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
Trixie, I think you are jumping to a conclusion. A prior article stated that the Pro has a couple of employees on his own payroll in addition to expenses like buying the carts, etc. While the Gross Revenue may increase by that amount, I seriously doubt the NET Revenue would increase anywhere close to that amount.
This is just a revenue grab by the Parks Department no less than what they did to the St. Joseph Museum by grabbing a share of the tax revenue for musuems for the Nature Center. The exhibits were changed so that it could arguably qualify.
October 5, 2009 at 12:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
drbjr, just so.
October 5, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MorganHawman says...
Mike Habermehl didn't just come to St. Joseph as a stop on his way to bigger and better things in the golf industry. He made his home here. He was both of my son's golf pro for Missouri Western Golf Team. He has given back to the community with our youth and has helped organize many golf tournaments to help charities.
Can't we just take one thing from him and let him keep the rest? Let's do some negotiating!
October 5, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drbjr says...
Gee, did HE double hockey sticks freeze over? Heritage agreed with me!!!!
October 5, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Interested says...
Mike Habermehl did not make Fairview the course it is today.
It took a lot of hard work by the Greens crew. They work with limited funds every year, operating with equiptment that is wore out and any "new" piece they get is usualy half
wore out when they get it! I do not like my dues going up just to keep padding his pockets.
October 12, 2009 at 4:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Interested says...
dges
I don't think this city is a dump, but your other thoughts are right on! I have spoken to several golfers at Moila and Country Club and the opinion is if the city would put the Pro job up for bids there would be a plethora of well qualified Pros bidding on it!!
October 13, 2009 at 8:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )