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Golfers using Fairfax County Park Authority facilities will see some changes in costs for the coming year, if proposals working their way through the process are enacted.
Instead of charging different fees for in-season (April-October) and off-season (November-March), officials would like to allow fees to be adjusted throughout the year based on customer demand, weather and course conditions.
FCPA officials also want to increase membership fees at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton to bring them more in line with those charged by competitors. Full annual memberships for individuals would rise from $5,000 to $6,000, those for spouses and other immediate family members would go from $2,500 to $4,000, and the rate for individual weekday memberships would increase from $3,000 to $4,500.
Officials have proposed eliminating the $4 chipping-area fee at Laurel Hill Golf Course and removing group-use scheduling fees of $10 per golfer, plus greens fee, at all agency golf courses except Laurel Hill.
The Park Authority is seeking to formalize discounted driving-range passes, which until now have been special promotions. The fees would be $90 for 20 buckets of golf balls and $160 for 40 buckets. The agency also would like to eliminate the $4 fee for using the golf-practice area at Oak Marr Golf Center and reduce from $19 to $18 the 18-hole power-cart rental rate at Burke Lake Golf Center.
The changes will not simply impact regular golf, but mini-golf, as well. Fees at Jefferson District Park’s miniature-golf facility would rise significantly because of higher demand. The private-rental fee of $100 plus greens fees during off hours would rise to $200 per hour (minimum two hours); during hours when the facility is otherwise open to the public, the rate would be $300 per hour (minimum three hours).
The agency would like to begin charging a $100 two-hour rental fee for the birthday-party pavilion at Jefferson District Park, but give each participant in the group a $1 greens-fee discount.
Park Authority officials say every year brings proposals to adjust fees. “We go through this process each year, gauge the market demand and try to keep offerings and services as economical as possible,” said Michael Peter, FCPA’s administration-division director.
The Park Authority Board will hold a “virtual” community-comment meeting Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. to garner the public’s thoughts on the proposed fee changes. After evaluating staff’s proposals and fielding comments from the public, the board is set to vote on the fee package March 9. Changes will take effect April 1.
Officials on Jan. 5 began accepting public comments on the proposals and will continue to do so through Feb. 3.
County residents can e-mail their remarks to parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or mail them to Attention: Public Information Office/Fee Comments, Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 927, Fairfax, Va. 22035.
For more information about the fee changes and how to access the upcoming meeting, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/feemeeting.