Absolutely!
I rarely disagree with Dr. Sowell, but when he tees off on muni golf courses, I respectfully do not agree. So much of our taxes goes to ( various combinations of) illegal aliens , welfare, Medicaid, food stamps and the like. If a municipality runs a golf course, perhaps some of us tax payers benefit.
To me, golf courses are similar to parks and libraries, and make a sound investment in a community. Besides, don't at least some muni courses make a bit of profit? Or break even?
Disagreement invited (swing away).
Governments are instituted to protect unalienable rights. Taking the fruit of my labor for any other purpose is stealing. Those that vote for it violate the 10th commandment. It is immoral and sinful.
I play racquetball, not golf.
Why don't you start paying for my RB club dues? My son plays soccer. Why don't you start paying his club dues?
The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money.
A golf course is just like NPR.
They make someone else pay for something you want.
And if the golf course was profitable, there would be no need for government to administer it.
You make a great example of why our budgets are a disaster. Nearly everyone has something they want government, really the taxpayer, to provide them and as a result nothing can be cut. Government has no business being in the golf course business anymore than the radio propaganda business.
To me, golf courses are similar to parks and libraries.
Taking my money so you can have a golf course I don’t want is socialism.
I am fortunate to be a member of a country club, but initiation fees and monthly dues are prohibitive for a large segment of the population. Muni courses provide access to the game for a wider swath of the population. I'm all for public golf courses even though I never play them.
Actually, it’s way simpler than that. I also can not remember the last time I disagreed with Dr. Sowell, but municipal golf courses have one main purpose: To raise the property values in a municipality. If they create revenues through greens fees, great. However, municipal golf courses (at least in the northeast) typically come into being when an existing private club is having financial difficulty. When the municipality buys the course and makes it public, it becomes a selling point for future residential transactions. Thus, the course not only pays for itself through greens fees, but also adds to municipal taxes as everyone’s property increases in value. It’s simple economics. Plus, a golf course looks a lot nicer than a few more strip malls.