Milkman - respect your knowledge. Maybe I just don't see where that money goes? I saw carpet once. I sort of see a roof repair going on - maybe? A deck was a nice touch. Sort of updated bathrooms a few years ago I guess. Guess I was looking at necessary fairway applications - more than 1 a year. New mower blades or newer equipment instead of a full time mechanic repairing what they have. Tee box and greens applications. It's a miracle the course is in the shape it is - a testimony to the Greenskeeper and Mother Nature. I admit to playing a ton of golf - and I know you do also. I probably play 30+ different courses a year. You may also. All those course seem in better shape than Riverside but there isn't a track I'd rather play day in and day out than Riverside. I'll attribute this to Hans Wagner - "Tis Fine Land, That!"

Yes, it's about principles. If the city makes money, great! But keep in mind that it's easy for local government to appear to "make money" when they have city resources at hand. Case in point: recently I observed a (certain) city plow the parking lot in front of a city-owned senior apartment bldg. A front-end loader, and two full-sized dump trucks / plows (who didn't appear to be participating) were on-site. The parking lot has MAYBE 50 parking spots. It occurred to me that I could have done a better job in three or four hours...by myself..with a shovel.
The city government is wasting precious resources on something they should not be involved with.

Mr. wacker;
You are not correct. Almost everything the city makes from both golf courses go right back into both golf courses.

Ok, so this is really not about Riverside specifically just your take on government in general and City government in particular?
I can respect that. Actually we should be happy with the City. They have been taking 10% off the top for 10 years,hardly putting a nickel back into the courses while Crown is left doing all the work and losing money while honoring their lease. You almost have to tip your hat to our City elders... till the well runs dry.

The fact that the city supports certain things that generate little or no revenue is really immaterial - that's a separate issue. And, yes, it's nice if the golf courses make money, but if they are viable businesses why is the city involved at all? The argument for the ice arena was always that it was NOT a viable business, therefore the city needed to do it. My point is that the city should stick to it's core responsibilities, and not try to be all things to all people. And the fact that the economy is in the tank (thanks largely to government) underscores that point.

SuperDave - good post- I understand your tax angle but wards of the state? ( City) Look at everything the City supports already that generates little or no income ( or tax base ) for our City. Tallman House, Ice Arena, our parks, Dawson, Monterrey Park. All I'm saying is a viable golf course generates City revenue - not in tax form but certainly ( hopefully ) in profit. If the City would look at all these as income generators - we all win. The City is a business. They can generate income besides just raising our taxes. Income sometimes comes at the expense of investment. If the city doesn't care to help support what it now owns - then the easy answer is let it go to to the private sector. I do not advocate a city run course but I do advocate investment in what it owns, hire the stewards who know how to run it and the City - you and I can benefit.

wedge: OMG, you are so off the course. You said "We need to look at our golf courses, specifically Riverside as Businesses". So let's make them REAL businesses, not wards of the state!! Everything you said applies to REAL businesses, and guess what? They actually pay taxes to the government instead of being a political football.

Finally a wedgewacker perspective! I knew you could add some clarity! I agree!

bobb1951 the question was what do you think of janesville's golf courses not about your job or no job status.life goes on! get up, get out and get on with it noody owes you anything

We need to look at our golf courses, specifically Riverside as Businesses; as profit centers for our City. Golf courses bring people to our city. They spend money at our restaurants, our malls, our gas stations & our golf courses. Consider marketing "stay & plays" with Glen Erin, Prairie Woods or maybe even The Country Club wants in on the action. Get hotel involvement. Become a destination place to play ( and pay!) A clubhouse open year round with a restaurant benefits the community. Don't we need a restaurant in this city? What if the Elk's Club became part of the City and the course? Swap land for Elk's building elsewhere? The Clubhouse becomes a reception facility, a business meeting place not just just a clubhouse for golfers or a warming house for sledders and skiers. The potential and the revenue need to be studied. You still need a good product - a well maintained course that people will come to. You need money for quality maintenance. You need the right people to oversee our investment who understands recreational dollars and diverse customer expectations. Investment & marketing of Riverside will bring positive return. Ray Kinsella heard "If you build it, he will come." The city needs to hear "if you invest, we will come."

Well Johnwicket seeing as how I don't fish I was thinking that taxing fish caught in city pits might not be a bad idea. Why don't we just get rid of everything that the city maintains just because we don't see any particular benifit. Seems most of the suggestions here have been pretty selfish and selfserving.

I support the further development of fishing pits around the city. I like to fish. I pay taxes here like other homeowners. I never use the golf courses or ice arena. What is the public benefit other than to a wealthy select "few?" At least with well-stocked fishing pits a wider future public good could be achieved. Future starving taxpayers could at least eat the "fruits" of this labor. Let's not be suckers and stop carping about trivial side issues in Janesville government. There are more important matters!

Talk about misuse of great farmland when people are starving! (Ms. Wicket) PS Ms. Obama, maybe we need some of your backyard gardening on these wasted spaces.

Wow, how about we get back on topic?
I play a lot at Riverside and I think that Crown Golf has done an outstanding job as far as maintenance and staff. Over the years, I don’t believe that the yearly passes for play have increased more than $20 a year. Seems to me that is far below the rate of inflation. I would like to think with the contract coming up for renewal that the city could negotiate with Crown to the benefit of both sides.
As far as tee times are concerned, I have never had a problem getting on whether I had a tee time or not. The staff has been extremely friendly and cooperative and should remain.

woodsman- that is a stereo-typical comment. I love to golf and golf more than 36 holes a week min. Does that make me a "drinker"???? Cause your comment basically says a golfer is a drinker...... Ignorant people in this town just irritate the crap out of me. If you cant enjoy what you have then....so be it. Would like to know what you all do for excitement.

Lets hear it???????

The golf courses are very nice looking,they should be public parks! Anyone who hits a little white ball around on grass,is about the stupidest,just another excuse to drink & drive around drunk.

Either "a good walk spoiled" or "the gokarts are faster at the dells"

To answer the headline "What do you think of Janesville’s golf courses?", I think that the city government should not be in the golf course business. In what Utopian hangover did someone come up with the idea that the government should operate golf courses? Absurb. What's next, ice arenas? Oh, wait...nevermind. Been/done. How's that workin' out?

I agree I don't think the city should be in charge of the courses. I feel the courses are the same as they have always been and maybe need some changes. I would also agree with sannio when he says they should not be in charge of a lot of the other activities. Hence all the money for the softball teams is ridiculous with little improvements to fields. Please Janesville do something right once in awhile.

Happycamper;
"Part of the problem here, says Jay Winzenz, assistant city manager, is that while the number of rounds played in Rock County has held steady or risen slightly, golfers are now divided among more courses."
I believe Mr. Winzenz meant that Janesville area golfers are now divided among more courses.

Janesville Riverside is a Gem and should be enhanced and nurtured. The question of how the city should proceed with the golf courses is complicated and should and will be studied further.

OK so to answer the question about the courses. Should get a new contract with Crown, they do a pretty good job. Blackhawk was in better shape than Riverside (IMO) last year. I didnt play janesville courses as much in 09 due to lack of interest in blackhawk and I would rather play other area courses than Riverside(not saying riverside is garbage). Give Crown a new contract and let them run it.

All set aside, janesville courses are very compariable to other area courses. 9 at blackhawk was around $13, where the par 3 (Hackbarth) course off of HWY14 wants $10. Pay $3 more and play an actual course. But 18 and cart at Riverside was about $42. Oak Ridge in Milton is $41 (i believe) and Prairie Woods was $43, Glen Erin was about the same as well. So very comparable to some local courses.

"besides the monied elite"-bobb1951

Yeah, they must be the ones in tank tops and jean shorts. Get a grip bobb, we know you are unemployed and things are rough but 90% of people are still working and need recreation. The city MAKES money on the courses. You and Sannio need to move out of town if you don't like it.

Where's Hank???

Divided among more courses? Winzenz must have been mis quoted. Madison has four municipal courses (one of which has two 18 hole courses)and in a short distance some of the top courses in the midwest. We have one 18 hole and one, nine hole course and Glen Erin and Beloit to compete with. WE NEED MORE HOLES if you want to be profitable. We will NEVER be like Madison so compare apples to apples.

sannio,

If you ran the city, it would be even more of an armpit. You need to have those things to encourage people to make it attractive to settle in Janesville. You don't have the glamourous jobs to bring in talent, so you need something to attract them and more importantly companies to settle here.

Maybe all the golfers should go to the next meeting, ask for two million dollars for their sport, and then maybe they could make a new golf course. It worked for the hockey people, just so you know hockey people don't care about golfers.

Also with out public options like parks and Golf courses where the heck is the normal guy to go. Most cant afford the bigger courses and the other local courses are only held in check on pricing due to the public courses. Dont know if any one has looked around but not alot to do in this town anymore unless you want to go to a bar or out to a CHAIN resturaunt. I can ride my bike wich I do all the time but then those same people that complain about soccer fields baseball fields and the such complain about a 500k grant to build a tunnel that cant be used on anthing other than that tunnel. Adults and kids in this town need somthing to do so go ahead take away the parks ball fieds golf courses and when they are breaking into your house for somthing to do because they needed somthing to do get right back on here and tell us how we need more cops and more jails.

As I said in the thread about the article There has only been 1 new course in the area built in the last 5 years. Crown signed the deal and its their own fault they made a poor choice. I love our 2 public courses and play them atleast once a week. They have a fair price to play and at anytime over the summer you better get a tee time to get on them. they always seem to have more than enuff golfers their.

The city shouldn't be in the golf business, or the ice rink business, or the soccer business, or the baseball business, or the museum business, or the advertising business, or any other business.