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MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 17, 2003 Oak Knoll braces for competition By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings A new marketing strategy could attract more golfers to the Oak Knoll Public Golf Course as the city-owned facility faces competition from existing Rogue Valley courses and the prospect of a new 18-hole championship course on the other side of Ashland. The Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission, which oversees the operations of Oak Knoll on the southeast edge of town, agreed during a meeting held earlier this week to pursue the marketing strategy. From April through September, the commission will run an advertisement in the Medford Mail Tribune with a coupon featuring a $2 discount on a nine or 18-hole round of golf. People who present the coupon before noon also will receive a free bucket of balls for use at the driving range. Additionally, Oak Knoll will offer a lunch deal coupon during the peak season. The moves are part of an effort to attract golfers from outside Ashland. Commissioners hope to track the home towns of golfers, probably by asking visitors to give their zip codes. "Right now, we're operating on the assumption that the typical user is from Ashland," said Commissioner Rich Rosenthal. "We're trying to attract people from Medford. But we're just guessing. If we know who's using the course, we'll be better able to focus our marketing." Under the marketing strategy drafted by Oak Knoll golf pro Tom Kohler, the Ashland course also will develop cooperative relationships with competitors Quail Point Golf Course and Stewart Meadows Golf Course in Medford. Members of the Medford golf clubs will receive a discount for play at Oak Knoll, while Oak Knoll club members in turn will receive discounts when they golf at the other courses. "It's a way to stimulate additional rounds and get different golfers coming to the course," said Commissioner Mike Gardiner, who noted that members of golf clubs tend to stick to their home courses. Oak Knoll could face even stiffer competition in the future if the 18-hole championship Billings Ranch Golf Club proposed just outside northwest Ashland receives approval from Jackson County. "Obviously, another golf course in Ashland would have an impact on Oak Knoll," Rosenthal said. "How big an impact, who knows? That's another reason we need to come up with a game plan for Oak Knoll so when that day comes, we have an idea who our clientele is." The county currently is reviewing a conditional use permit for the development. After hearing concerns from a neighbor about possible impacts to a riparian area within the proposed golf course boundary, the commission voted to send a request to the county that a public hearing be held on the application. Kim Lewis, son-in-law of Billings Ranch owner John Billings, said he believes there is room in the Ashland area for both golf courses. "Oak Knoll complements this course and this course will complement Oak Knoll," he said. "It's like high school or college football versus the NFL. People will continue to play on both courses and have a good golfing experience. This will cause more interest in golfing." The two courses not only will draw Rogue Valley golfers, but visitors who come to Ashland for the many cultural and recreational opportunities, such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lewis said. Maintaining or even increasing visitation levels is critical for Oak Knoll. The golf course has a budget of $355,000 for fiscal year 2003-2004, and expenses and revenues on average have equaled out over the years, according to Interim Parks Director Steve Gies. The course is not generating enough excess revenues to fund major capital improvements, such as an upgrade of the aging irrigation system, according to Rosenthal. Some Ashland residents - worried that the publicly-owned course could become a taxpayer liability - have advocated for the sale of the facility. Wary of putting a damper on visitation that already has dipped in part because of the weather, commissioners unanimously agreed to keep golf fees the same for the coming year. "This year, given the slight downturn in rounds and the overall competition, our recommendation is to leave it where it is," Gardiner, a member of the commission's golf subcommittee, said before the vote. "We're really the most reasonably priced course around for nine holes, or for 18 holes for that matter." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams