A golfer's anger flies in as many directions as a poorly struck 3-iron.

A putt that won't break brings gasps to the green. A slice with the driver triggers a tirade on the tee. And a rumor about the golf pro's job security brings madness to the microphone at City Hall.

Mike Habermehl has spent the past 24 years as PGA golf pro and manager at Fairview Golf Course. His performance recently earned him recognition as the PGA's Midwest Section Professional of the Year.

Despite the honor, uncertainty clouds Mr. Habermehl's future at Fairview as he negotiates with the city for a new contract.

The City Council's Parks & Recreation Committee will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chamber at City Hall to discuss the matter.

Before addressing the issue, Mr. Habermehl and Parks & Recreation Director Bill McKinney each want to quiet the most persistent rumor in the clubhouse: Mr. Habermehl has not been fired, terminated or asked to resign. He remains under contract through Dec. 31 and will perform all regular job duties until that date.

Local golfers have reason to worry, though. Mr. Habermehl said negotiations with the city are "at a standstill" as the two sides debate who should receive revenue from golf cart rentals, concessions and the driving range.

Mr. Habermehl currently receives the revenue from all three sources, along with a small salary of $250 per month. Mr. McKinney's proposal would direct all revenue to the city and give Mr. Habermehl a substantially higher salary that he declines to discuss, but that Mr. McKinney puts at $88,800 per year.

"I honestly don't think they're trying to run me off," Mr. Habermehl said. "I think the city of St. Joseph wants to make a business decision."

Mr. McKinney has prepared three pages of statistics defending the city's decision to reach for more revenue. One list shows the 2008 operating revenue and expenses for municipal golf courses in Maryville, Chillicothe, Savannah and Platte City. Fairview's revenue of $374,000 trails the closest competitor by almost $200,000, with two of the courses more than doubling Fairview's revenue. Fairview actually spent $14,000 more than it brought in, which forced Mr. McKinney to raid the parks department budget to subsidize the golf fund.

With additional revenue sources - which Mr. McKinney pledges to spend entirely on the course - Fairview could be on par economically with the other municipal courses in Northwest Missouri.

"I just wanted to do these comparisons to show that we're not crying wolf," Mr. McKinney said. "This is really happening."

If Mr. Habermehl leaves, Gary Cunningham, president of the men's club at Fairview, predicts many golfers will cancel their memberships and join nearby clubs such as Moila Country Club or Duncan Hills Golf Course in Savannah, Mo. Mr. Cunningham also expects several tournaments to search for a new site.

"The city is going to lose a lot more than what they think they're going to make," Mr. Cunningham said.

Mr. McKinney acknowledges that a few golfers may leave, but thinks a new golf pro would run the course well enough to avoid much of an immediate drop. Which brings up another rumor: that the city will place Penny Winguard from the maintenance staff in charge of the course and forgo hiring a new golf pro.

"We will have a golf pro and they will be PGA certified, no matter what," Mr. McKinney said. "Penny will be in charge of a lot of the paperwork over the revenue from carts and concessions and the range, but she isn't getting a raise. She won't be in over Mike or the next pro if Mike leaves. If anything, the pro will have more time to spend on golf - giving lessons and booking tournaments."

Aside from revenue, Mr. Habermehl worries about another item he would no longer control: personnel. He currently employs two full-time and three part-time workers at the course that he pays with revenue he generates at the course.

"I have a bit of a moral issue because they could lose their jobs," Mr. Habermehl said.

Mr. Habermehl insists he holds no ill will against Mr. McKinney. The parks director holds a similar view.

"I hope it works out so we can keep Mike here for a long time," Mr. McKinney said. "I don't always agree with every decision he makes, but I think Mike has done a good job."

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.

Clarification: A story on Page A1 of Monday's paper incorrectly stated that the city offered Mike Habermehl a salary of $88,800 to serve as golf pro at Fairview Golf Course. The city would pay Mr. Habermehl $30,000 to run tournaments and outings and an incentive worth $4,800 to acquire tournaments. The city's proposal also projects Mr. Habermehl will collect revenue from customers worth an estimated $54,000 for lessons, merchandise sales, club repair and the junior golf program, for a total contract value of $88,800.