The cost to play golf at McCall’s municipal golf course would rise almost across the board in 2026 under a proposal the McCall City Council expects to adopt later this summer.
The proposal calls for 3% rate hikes for greens fees, season passes, and rental fees at the McCall Golf Course, with tournament entry fees increasing as much as 38%.
The increases would earn the golf course an extra $140,000 in 2026, which council members were told would help keep up with inflation and save money for an estimated $1.5 million in improvements to the course’s aging irrigation system.
The council will consider approving the increased rates, which would take effect next golf season, following a public hearing at its Aug. 14 budget adoption meeting.
Phil Goodson, the course’s head golf professional, recommended increases to the 27-hole course’s 15 annual tournaments, but favored keeping all other rates the same as this season’s rates.
The tournament fee increases recommended by Goodson are expected to add about $88,000 to the course’s tournament revenue. The added cost per tournament ranges from $10 per player to $100 per player.
Goodson told council members the risk of higher daily rates driving players away is not worth the extra money from increasing daily fees and season pass rates by 3%, which would net the course about $50,000.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to remain fiscally responsible and in the same token remind the local golfing community that we definitely care and we’re in it with them,” Goodson said, noting long wait lists for entry into many of the course’s tournaments.
Council disagrees with golf pro
McCall Mayor Bob Giles, however, doubted that the 3% increase would affect the golf course’s annual total of about 34,000 rounds played, which Goodson said accounts for more than half of the 60,000 total rounds played across seven golf courses in the region.
“Would that drive away business?” Giles said. “I don’t think so.”
Giles credited Goodson for the tournament fee hikes, but worried that foregoing the 3% increase to daily rounds fees and season passes would trigger a larger increase in the future and limit Goodson’s ability to fund improvement projects.
“It would be foolish to not address it even though it’s politically charged,” he said. “I just think you gotta look at all of that because costs are going up.”
The 3% increase would raise unlimited season pass rates—currently $1,015—by about $30. Increases to daily rates and rental rates would amount to a few extra dollars compared to current rates.
It is unclear how much money the golf course should be setting aside each year to fund improvements to the course—a reality some council members said made it difficult to settle on rate increase for the 2026 golf season.
“We don’t know where we’re looking in the next five years,” council member Colby Nielsen said. “It’s really kinda hard to say, ‘we should increase the fees 3%’ and not be able to justify it other than saying ‘inflation.’”
Nielsen agreed to the 3% increases, but on the condition that the golf course change its season pass for unlimited play after 4 p.m. to be unlimited play after 3 p.m. The so-called “twilight pass” formerly allowed unlimited play after 2 p.m., but was changed to 4 p.m. last season to increase daily rounds players. That led to a 75% decrease in twilight pass sales, Goodson said.
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Council member Lyle Nelson also agreed to the 3% rate increase, but said fees should remain the same for players who are 18 years old and younger.
The tournament fee increases were not controversial among any of the council members, except for council member Julie Thrower, who was absent from the meeting.
Self-sustaining city department
The golf course operates as an enterprise fund, which means its operations are supposed to cover its expenses without property tax subsidies from the city.
Improvements to the irrigation system, along with millions in other course improvements recommended by a 2020 master plan, are not funded by current rates, Finance Director Randy Kyrias said.
“Nothing’s going in the bank,” Kyrias said. “We’re really at a breakeven.”
Irrigation improvements top priority
The golf course master plan listed irrigation improvements under “long-term improvements,” but Goodson warned it is now the 32-acre course’s top need.
“Everything needs to be going toward the grass, period,” he said. “Our trouble is entirely in the ground.”
Last week, a water leak on the Cedar course poured 350 gallons of water per minute into the ground before golf staff could locate the leak and fix it. A total of 500,000 gallons of water were lost to the leak.
Meanwhile, Goodson said crews are working to replace a seized pump that helps supply water to the course’s irrigation system.
It is unclear how old the current irrigation system is. Goodson could not be reached for comment by Valley Lookout on Monday.
Overall, the master plan recommended a total of $3.7 million in improvements needed at the golf course. Goodson said some of those improvements, including a $350,000 roof replacement for the clubhouse, could be shelved in favor of irrigation work and other improvements to the course itself.
Last year, the council approved increases that raised daily round rates by as much as 20% and season pass rates by about 10%. Tournament rates were also increased. The updated rates raised an additional $190,000, which was expected to enable the course to save money for improvement projects.
Golf fees are projected to earn the course about $1.3 million this year, or about half of its $2.7 million total budget for 2025.
Sales at the golf course’s pro shop are projected to earn about $688,000, while a percentage of sales at the clubhouse restaurant, Banyans on the Green, is expected to net the city about $67,000.
