Opinion: Pay to Play is Not a Con

[Doofenshmirtz]

When they start refunding my some of my property taxes and other taxes I pay as a home owner that help pay for upkeep of the courses around me (since almost every one of them is a park district course people are already P2P) then I'll pay 5 or 10 bucks to frolf for the day. As for the rest of the morons who all want to P2P (here's looking at you ru4por), well, as the old saying goes: a fool and his money......

There are plenty of tax supported parks/events/activities that charge a fee. It's nothing new. In fact, there is this one sport, known simply as "golf," that is P2P at almost every course.

Wanting P2P is mostly about wanting nice things and realizing that nice things can cost more money that your average local government is willing to pay. It's also based on the hope that P2P will also mean that I don't have to share a course with the kind of people who think that only a moron would play at a P2P course.

 

[ru4por]

When they start refunding my some of my property taxes and other taxes I pay as a home owner that help pay for upkeep of the courses around me (since almost every one of them is a park district course people are already P2P) then I'll pay 5 or 10 bucks to frolf for the day. As for the rest of the morons who all want to P2P (here's looking at you ru4por), well, as the old saying goes: a fool and his money......

I suggest you have zero idea of how much of your "property taxes" go toward installation and upkeep, of your all of your park district courses. I might also suggest that nearly every penny is going toward a cavalcade of other things you may or may not use.

P2P has made a slew of positive impacts on my local courses, some park district courses...some not.

This fool is content paying for my entertainment. I don't see myself as entitled to anything.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Many of the parks around here charge $10/car per day plus another $3/person per day DG fee.

I admit, I wasn't happy about it when they added a separate DG fee some 10 or so years ago, but most of the pay to play courses seem to put at least some money back into course maintenance, explanation, improvement.

If you're taking a road trip, park entry and pay to play fees usually pale in comparison to that overall cost of travelling.

If you're local, purchasing the annual passes brings the cost per round way down.

One thing I've noticed is in the decade since they started charging a separate DG fee at Kensington and Stony Creek, it virtually eliminated the riff-raff I used to see prior to P2P (and still occurs at nearby, still free to play Cass Benton).

I'm not anti-pot nor alcohol. But there's a huge difference people who come to the course to actually play, and happen to enjoy lighting up a bowl or knocking back a few cold ones during the round, vs. low-lifes who basically come to get wasted. I'm talking about who loiter at the course holding 1-2 discs but never seem to throw. Losers no one would ever want their daughter to date.

 

[ru4por]

Many of the parks around here charge $10/car per day plus another $3/person per day DG fee.

I admit, I wasn't happy about it when they added a separate DG fee some 10 or so years ago, but most of the pay to play courses seem to put at least some money back into course maintenance, explanation, improvement.

If you're taking a road trip, park entry and pay to play fees usually pale in comparison to that overall cost of travelling.

If you're local, purchasing the annual passes brings the cost per round way down.

One thing I've noticed is in the decade since they started charging a separate DG fee at Kensington and Stony Creek, it virtually eliminated the riff-raff I used to see prior to P2P (and still occurs at nearby, still free to play Cass Benton).

I'm not anti-pot nor alcohol. But there's a huge difference people who come to the course to actually play, and happen to enjoy lighting up a bowl or knocking back a few cold ones during the round, vs. low-lifes who basically come to get wasted. I'm talking about who loiter at the course holding 1-2 discs but never seem to throw. Losers no one would ever want their daughter to date.

Even to a greater extent with one of our local County Park systems. They started collecting P2P fees two years ago. Independence Lakes has added 12 holes, 24 tee pads, 6 additional pin placements, drop zone tee pads and are currently putting up a picnic shelter for the courses. This park system had promised that fees from the course would go back into the course....they seem to have been true to their word.

 

[hiflyer]

I'd say p2p is a con when there is no real benefit to paying. If the course is kept separate from regular park goers, the amenities are better, its as clean or cleaner than the surrounding areas that are free to use, the equipment is well kept, etc.
if Im paying for the same thing I get for free (i.e. avoiding pedestrians, crappy rusted baskets, little to no amenities, filth and trash littered about) then its a major con.

I dont consider park entrance fees part of a p2p course. Everyone in the park had to pay that.

 

[WD09]

I think it's worth paying just to make sure I don't get strangled.

I learned in another thread that there is a very sincere risk of that in free public parks.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I dont consider park entrance fees part of a p2p course. Everyone in the park had to pay that.

When the park entry fee is 2-3 times the DG fee, how does a $3 DG fee become a con, but the $7-$10 entry fee get overlooked?

I'm not complaining about either fee. But if both contribute to the cost of being able to play, then total should be considered.

It's not like you can pay the DG fee and waive the entry fee. Like you said, everyone who comes to the park has to pay to enter, regardless of the activity.

In many cases, Park entry is more significant than the DG fee, and often, park entry is the only cost to play.