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Article
Courtesy of The Forum Publishing Group
By Fallan
Patterson
Published
September 29, 2009
While
decades ago one of the largest attractions to community association living was
golf courses, there are some associations now noticing a decline in unit owners
that are active players, and many other boards are concerned over whether
foreclosures and delinquent payments could make it harder to maintain the
courses.
According to Putt.com, an online resource for golf retailers, there are more
than 60 public and private golf courses in Broward County.
Ken Direktor, an attorney for the law firm Becker & Poliakoff, said South
Florida may not have the demand of players to meet the high supply of courses.
"Demand is down for an expensive pastime," Direktor said. "But I
do still think we're living in the Tiger Woods era and the [interest] is still
high."
In Coconut Creek's Wynmoor Village, the private PGA-affiliated course is getting
a new batch of younger golfers since many new owners moved in, but golf
membership could be better, according to Wynmoor's Director of Grounds David
Rivers.
"Membership is good, not great, but we're on an upswing," Rivers said.
Out of a population of 9,000, only about 420 residents pay the annual $400 to
use the course. Rivers said the golf association is planning a membership drive
for later this year.
Roslie Labate, president of Hollybrook Golf and Tennis in Pembroke Pines, said
that even with the small number of owner delinquencies, management has still
been able to maintain the course. Although the course is private, Hollybrook
does not make it mandatory for unit owners to join but instead charges fees for
services such as cart rentals. The majority of the courses' maintenance is paid
through the association's monthly fees. If delinquencies increase, associations
like Hollybrook could find it difficult to properly maintain expensive golf
courses.
Through the difficult economy, associations have been forced to rethink
mandatory vs. voluntary golf membership policies in order to maintain the
course.
"Even if you don't join the club, it's difficult to argue that the
maintenance of it doesn't affect you," Direktor said. "If the golf
course is allowed to become an overgrown field or has been sold, it affects
property value."
According to Direktor, many homeowners' associations have tried to amend the
governing documents to force owners into mandatory golf club memberships. But
Direktor said that if necessary, it's better to allow existing owners to have
voluntary memberships while forcing new owners to join.
"You could have retirees who were lured into a golf course [community] who
may not be able to play any longer," he said. "It's a complicated
undertaking."
If forced into golf memberships, new owners could be looking at hundreds of
dollars on top of monthly maintenance fees, said Robert Kaye, of the Fort
Lauderdale law firm Kaye & Bender.
"It certainly is a factor coming into play," Kaye said.
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