putt putt wrote on Aug 8, 2007 11:31 PM:68 million bucks for 18 holes putting a little white ball. How long will the 'new' appeal last? Not in my lifetime will we see this course run in the black. Drained millions away from true needs in education, road improvements, and now we hear they can't even keep the phone lines open at a 68 million dollar golf course that took 17 years to open. Is the technology 17 years old too? I mean in our neighborhood, phone company guys are climbing the half century old poles to replace rotted cable. But of course the golfers come first right? Improve education and maybe we can graduate young adults who can read, write, add subtract, and maybe even help the CROSSINGS to keep their phones ringing.

Love the Game...reject the Cost wrote on Aug 9, 2007 7:58 AM:I just love the Game but have been turned off by the seemingly too high tee time cost. It simply too hard to enjoy what's left of my paycheck when I shell out a hundred bucks plus to play golf. The higher cost of gas REALLY made me curtail my golf. In looking to trim in order to afford a necessity, I chose (as many do) to trim the entertainment budget....thinking almost automatically "hey, one less round of golf and the gas pinch is managable." I wish I didn't have to think this way. If golf was more in the $50 to $65 range then it would have been in contention with, for example, going out to dinner once less often. But, with that big three figure target looming there with which to trim; golf became the easy choice to cut back on. I wish it weren't so.

Senior Golfer wrote on Aug 9, 2007 10:49 AM:Out of curiosity I might play The Crossings once, but then it's back to something I can afford, something like the weekday Senior Non-resident rate of $25 (including cart) provided by the new management firm at Oceanside Muni.

Really? wrote on Aug 9, 2007 1:01 PM:If this article is indeed good facts, this is just a huge waste of city money. Lessor or the same amount of rounds being played, yet they build more courses. At least Wally World builds stores where there is growth in the markets. Not shrinkage or stagnation.

Michael D. wrote on Aug 9, 2007 1:59 PM:When the citizens of Carlsbad voted for a golf course, it was based on a $7 Million price tag. When the city new the cost would be substantially higher (say for example, anything above 2 or 3 times the original), they had a duty to go back to the voters and ask for permission to spend so much more of their tax dollars on such an unnecessary amenity. After all, maybe Carlsbad citizens would prefer their tax dollars were better spent on multiple amenities that everyone would enjoy. Instead, we got an over-priced, badly designed, water sucking play ground for the "elites" that required years of costly battles with the coastal commission as well as the state and federal wildlife agencies (another hidden taxpayer expense). Sadly, city officials, who were paid by the taxpayers to serve the taxpayers best interests, breached their duties by pursuing their own agenda and wasting tax dollars; all those involved should be fired. It is a classic case of how power corrupts and how elected officials and government employees become arrogant and counter-productive after they've been in office too long. If our elected representatives and highly paid city staff were so sure the taxpayers wanted this thing, then why didn't they simply tell the truth and ask permission to spend so many of the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars on this playgroud for the few?

jack wrote on Aug 9, 2007 3:45 PM:Brilliant! Build a course on ancient sand dunes and throw away water by the acre foot! So the priviledged few can play while "others" go dry.

JOHN wrote on Aug 23, 2007 1:28 PM:If those idiot Carlsbad city council people knew any thing at all about golf, they would realise the resident fees are two times higher than other good Muni courses such as (BROWN DEER, OR Harding Park). I hope they realise golfers VOTE,4 AT A TIME. Cut the resident fees by 30 to 40 %. john

Jerry N wrote on Sep 6, 2007 3:47 PM:Now it makes sense. Perry also opened Riverwalk who initially opened up with $90-$115 greens fees!!! WAY OVER MARKET. When nobody showed up to play, Riverwalk had to not only reduce prices but go under market pricing to bring the players back. But by then they had lost the momentum of launching a new course and a ton of revenue. I suspect this hurt them for at least a couple years. If Perry has or had any say about greens fees, then he is about to repeat history. Oseanside Muni just up the road - non resident for $22 WITH a cart!!! Great layout and decent grass Guess Carlsbad officials need to go back to school.

Tee Time wrote on Mar 28, 2008 2:09 PM:68 mil... what a joke. Irresponsible spending like this is why California is running out of money. Enjoy it while there is still water available and people willing to pay… at some point the irresponsible spending, waist of a valuable resource (water), and people willing to pay will dry up… then this golf course will become a desert again. :)