It was disappointing to hear at a recent Dillon City Council meeting that membership at the municipal golf course had only reached eight percent of its goal.
A great deal of effort has been put in on the city’s part to save the golf course and make it a place that Dillon County citizens and citizens in the surrounding area would want to play at and support.
Perhaps more focus needs to be placed on getting people to come out and play. This means getting people who have left for other courses to return and attracting new business. It may also mean talking to departed golfers to find out why they left in the first place. The answer to that question may not be what the city anticipates and may help them re-focus their efforts to attract more membership.
When the golf course opened under city leadership, memberships should have taken off with a bang and apparently that didn’t happen. There may be no way now to recapture the newness that should have attracted golfers in the first place.
Members will be the bread and butter that will keep the golf course viable and ensure its survival. Without members, the project will likely perish.
There were many people who said the city needed to take on this project and now they need to support it with their memberships.
The city needs to rethink what they are doing and make a big effort to try to get those memberships up and to get players on the course.

Here are some of the budget numbers regarding the City of Dillon Municipal Golf Course as of 8/31/13:
GOLF COURSE REVENUES & EXPENSES
For The Period Ending 8/31/13

GOLF COURSE REVENUES
           Total Budget    Year-To-Date
                   Actual
Membership       $50,000        $3,770
Cart Fees        $105,000    $15,185
Senior Cart Fee    $15,000        $4,177
Fishing Fees        $500         $35
Tournament Fees    $25,000        $7,840
Cart Fees For
 Non-members    $30,000        $3,983
Green Fees For
  Non-members     $20,000        $2,919.50
Women Locker Fees    $140        $0
Men Locker Fees    $1,500        $350
Merchandise Sales    $2,000        $193.25
Range Balls        $4,000        $651
Golf Balls        $3,000        $509.35
Snacks        $2,400        $543
Soft Drinks/Water     $15,000      $2,342
Donations From
 Dillon County    $50,000      $50,000
Key Replacement    $100         $0
Golf Course Dept.
Revenues Total    $323,640    $92,438.60

GOLF COURSE EXPENSES
           Total Budget    Year-To-Date
                   Actual
Salaries-Full Time     $107,413    $21,488.43
Salaries-Part Time    $45,000        $6,464.30
Pension/Retirement    $11,351         $2,245.47
Insurance        $16,911         $3,970.69
Workers Comp        $1,200         $0
FICA             $11,752         $2,138.38
Office Supplies     $1,000       $0
Uniforms        $0        $42.48
Gas           $30,000         $2,106.92
Diesel            $0         $1,471.60
Janitorial Supplies     $5,000         $306.44
Chemicals        $30,000         $5,150.12
Nuts, Bolts, Hand
  Tools, Etc.        $4,000         $12,241.31
Telephones/Pagers     $5,000        $308.63
General/Tort/Liability
  /Bond        $0         $45.60
Publications/Ads     $2,500        $352.08
Electricity        $20,000        $3,478.22
Printing        $1,000        $495.28
Dues & Subscriptions    $1,000        $167.88
Postage        $500        $0
Uniform Allowance     $1,040        $93.55
Contractual         $62,000        $12,215
Snacks        $2,700         $226.23
Drinks/Water         $6,000         $933.65
Computer &
  Maintenance         $5,000        $3,210
Misc. Expense         $0        $866.15
Merchandise-
  Resale        $,800         $1,661.02
Sales& Admission Tax    $0        $3,360.98
Buildings and Grounds    $10,000        $60
Equipment Repairs    $5,000         $1036.33
Capital Expense   $12,000         $5,000
Golf Course Dept.
Expenses Total     $402,167    $91,136.84

BALANCE SHEET
Assets
City of Dillon Golf Course Checkings    $45,277.86
HRA Account                $330.18
           Total  Assets    $45,608.04

Liability
Accrued Salary and Fringe        $2,623.44
Accounts Payable            $0
FICA                     $0
Federal                $0
State                     $0
Misc. Insurance            $0
Retirement Payable             $0
Christmas Club            $0
           Total Liabilities    $2,623.44

Capital
Fund Balance                $41,984.60
System Fund Balance            $1,302.89
           Total Capital    $42,984.60
        Total Liabilities And Capital    $45,608.04