Golf course swings into summer with budget in ‘good shape’

April 20, 2022 | Hannah Murphy and Michael Ballway
news@thereminder.com

AGAWAM — City councilors had to transfer $77,000 into the Agawam Municipal Golf Course budget this month, but that’s a sign of health, the golf course manager said last week.

“The golf course is in very good shape for FY23 and it was a successful year for FY22,” said Tom DiRico.

The effects of COVID-19 meant the course did less business than usual in FY21, the 12-month period that began July 1, 2020. Because the golf course’s annual budget is set using the previous year’s income, there isn’t enough money to meet expenses for the last three months of FY22, as usage of the golf course, pro shop, snack stand and banquet hall on the Feeding Hills property have rebounded.

The transfer authorized by the City Council on April 4 came from the golf course’s own retained earnings account — money earned from golf operations in previous years.

“The money goes towards hiring more for maintenance, food and beverage, an increase in the pro shop products, and the golf course recently bought a new sprayer,” said DiRico

He said the golf course, which for several years before DiRico took over in 2018 was a money-losing enterprise that periodically had to dip into taxpayer funds to pay its bills, is now on solid financial footing.

Before voting 10-0 to approve the transfer, councilors applauded DiRico’s stewardship of the golf course.

“They need more money because they’ve done so well,” said Council President Christopher Johnson. “He’s really turned the corner on the course. It wasn’t but a few years ago that the golf course had no retained earnings.”

DiRico said the turnaround over the past five years includes a refreshed emphasis on marketing, and frequent email contact with players. That outreach has led to an increase in memberships, he said.

“Our prices are competitive to other golf courses surrounding us,” said DiRico, an Agawam resident who already had more than 20 years of golf course management experience before taking his current job.

Although the coronavirus state of emergency starting in spring 2020 initially shuttered golf operations — like most other recreational businesses around Massachusetts — the sport was quick to recover, said DiRico.

“This is one of the areas that people felt safe [in], due to it being outdoors,” said DiRico. “The pandemic brought out a number of new people to the game. We continue to benefit from what the pandemic brought to us.”

The Agawam Municipal Golf Course, at 128 Southwick St., Feeding Hills, is open for the 2022 season. For more information, visit agawamgolfcourse.com.

Share this: