Ask any local citizen who has heard about the city and county possibly leasing the golf course, and one will get a number of strong opinions both in favor and against the issue.
Those who support the golf course idea have several reasons for doing so. They say it adds to the quality of life in the area by offering another opportunity for recreation and appeals to a certain group of people who may not participate in other forms of recreation. It is attractive to economic development prospects because a number of industrial executives play golf and perhaps wouldn’t want to locate where they don’t have that option. Also, most all of the surrounding counties have a golf course and some feel that it would be a shame for Dillon County not to have one as well.
On the other hand, there are a number of people strictly against the golf course. Many agree with the remark of County Councilman chairman who said he felt like that it was a lemon. They feel that if there were money to be made that the current owner would keep the facility and that despite projections, it will be too expensive to operate and will become a burden upon the taxpayers. They believe that with this poor economy that the costs will only continue to escalate. Some feel that it will only appeal to and be used by a small segment of the population, but will have to be paid for by everyone and that it will never be self-supporting as officials hope that it will be. Others feel that the taxpayers should have a say in whether or not the city and county should take part in this project and think that it should be brought to a public vote.
It appears, however that the project will soon be moving forward regardless of those who think it shouldn’t. So one of two things will happen—the city and possibly the county will take a lemon and make lemonade or the lemon will stay a lemon and there will be a lot of sour grapes if it turns out to be a fiasco.