The city of Smithville is looking to get out from under its municipal golf course, the year of ownership leaving their score card in the red.

The board of mayor and aldermen, this past week, voted to advertise the golf course for lease to anyone who would like to take a swing at operating the nine-hole course located on the fringe of Smithville. The price will be right as the board is thinking about renting it for a dollar a year although the maintenance and upkeep will be the person or persons who leases the course.

While putting it up for lease, the city would still own the course along with adjoining swimming pool and tennis courts. And, city fathers would like the person who rents to the course to have some background in golf course management.

The swimming pool and tennis courts would remain the responsibility of the city of Smithville although the person who rents the golf course would be asked to oversee the pool. The pool will still cost the city as some leaks in the in-ground pool will have to be fixed.

At issue with the board was that maintaining the municipal course was becoming costly. The city has recently gotten new equipment for golf course maintenance which they will either rent or sell to the person or entity that decides to lease the course.

“Operating that pool is a service,” pointed out Alderman Brandon Cox. “There are a lot of people who take advantage of that pool. There is a smaller number who take advantage of the golf course. We don’t have a lot to do here for kids. That’s something for them to do. I’m okay with going in the hole to provide a service to kids but the golf course is a different story. If we get the pool fixed and minimize our costs I’m okay with spending $15 to 20, or $30 thousand dollars a year to provide that service.”

Until someone leases the golf course, it will remain open under the supervision of the city. It presently opens when high temperatures top 45 degrees.