Eagle's Landing Stays Member Of OC Golf Group

OCEAN CITY - Eagle's Landing Golf Course will see at least one more year of its relationship with the Greater Ocean City Golf Association (GOCGA) after the City Council voted to renew the contract at this week's meeting.

Mike Noah, tourism director, and Bob Croll, Eagles Landing Golf Professional, came before the council Monday to request a renewal of the Eagle Landing contract with the GOCGA.

'It's the same program that we're in currently,' Croll said explaining that if the contract is renewed everything should remain the same for 2008. The contract provides that Eagles Landing will support the marketing efforts of the GOCGA in 2008. Hotels involved in the GOCGA also contribute to the marketing.

'It's really a good thing for the golf course to be associated with, everybody does need to work together to bring people to Ocean City to play golf, it not only does well for the golf courses but for the hotels and restaurants as well,' Croll said.

According to Croll, the money that Eagles Landing sends to the GOCGA comes for the revenue generated by the golf course.

The contract calls for a $49,093 fee to join the association, which is directly related to the number of rounds played.

Croll explained that the fee is based on the percentage of hotel package rounds played at the facility, so it is basically covering the rounds that the association brings to the golf courses.

'So the more that are booked, the more we pay but at the same time the more revenue we generate,' Councilman Lloyd Martin clarified.

Last year the contract generated about 10,000 to 11,000 rounds for Eagles Landing with an average of about $58 per round. That represented about one-third of Eagles Landing's total of rounds in 2006.

Councilman Jay Hancock questioned whether that one-third would occur without the GOCGA and Croll said that losing the help of the association would have an impact.

Councilwoman Nancy Howard voiced her concerns over additional spending on golf.

'I still have a problem with this being on top of the 10 percent that we give golf as a destination in Ocean City,' Howard said.

Howard also voiced concern over the decrease in golf rounds at Eagles Landing. Last year Eagles Landing totaled about 32,000 round of golf, showing a decrease from the year before with about 35,000 rounds.

 'So despite all this money we're spending on advertising the rounds are still going down,' Howard said.

'New golf facilities have been opening in our area, so the share is splitting up,' Croll explained.

Councilman Jim Hall supported the contract, saying, 'I think this is a tool and I think at this point it's the best tool we have. We'll look at this from year to year and if it's the right tool than we'll stay with it •€¦'