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Highlands Today

Spring Lake Golf Course

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Jim Foote

Published: March 29, 2009

Some folks out here that are against buying the courses are trying to ignore the two 800 pound gorillas in the room. One is the fact that it is going to cost $1.8 million to construct lakes and $500,000 to dredge (de-silt) the canals.

The other gorilla is that all property values will go down if the courses go under, or sold to buyers unfamiliar with local conditions. If the courses are sold to some "bottom feeders" that are only interested in making money, the current membership will desert and there will be even more homes for sale.

Purchase of the golf courses will only feed the first gorilla, but it will eliminate the second one. If the courses are purchased for a "negotiated" $3 million or so, we can save at least $625,000 in construction of new lakes and should save at least another $200,000 or so in dredging from the banks instead of leased barges and also in cheaper waste disposal.

The golfers know that the whole community could (at government expense) wind up with two 18 hold golf courses that could be sold (in better economic times) for over $10 million dollars to a buyer of choice. I will be glad to pay $100 a year for a chance at this lottery!

I also think there should be a way for golfers to pay somewhat more of the tax than non-golfers on fixed income. Maybe like a "future ownership" tax that would be rebated sometime in the future when an acceptable buyer is found for the courses.

Jim Foote Sebring

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