With golf leading the way, Palm Beach's recreation department enjoys record-setting year
A "fantastic year" for the town's recreation department included a record number of rounds played at the Par 3 golf course during the 2023 fiscal year.
During a presentation of the Recreation Advisory Commission's annual report to the Town Council at its meeting Jan. 9, Director of Recreation Mark Bresnahan shared final figures for the golf course as well as updates on the department's other divisions, which continued to grow.
"I'm very proud of all that we've accomplished throughout the year, and I just have to give the credit to the staff," Bresnahan told council members. "I've been here for a little over four years, and I've never been more proud and pleased with the level of our staffing. I hear from residents day in and day out of what great customer service they receive from our staff. I'm very proud of that."
Related: Palm Beach moves forward with plans to add more parking at Par 3 Golf Course
A total of 55,481 rounds of golf were played at the Par 3 during the 2023 fiscal year, according to the report. That figure exceeds last year's total by 1,000 rounds.
Par 3 revenue topped $5.09 million, which was $600,000 more than last year's total of $4.4 million. More than $878,000 in revenue came from pro-shop sales, which set another record.
"2021 was the first year we hit $3 million in revenue ever," Bresnahan told council members. "Last year was $4 million, obviously for the first time ever. This year we eclipsed $5 million. Kudos to (Par 3 manager) Tony (Chateauvert) and (superintendent) Tim (Campbell) at golf. They have done a fantastic job with golf, and they've made it a world-class place to play."
In its report, the Recreation Advisory Committee attributed much of the course's success to improvements in golf operations. They included a redesigned and enlarged putting green, an expanded parking lot on the northwest side, a rerouted cart path on hole No. 17, concrete work between the parking lot and driving range, and marketing opportunities that include a collaboration with the Golf Channel.
The report also noted the work of Assistant Golf Manager Sabrina Gordon and Campbell, and recognized the department's teaching program, which recorded its highest-grossing year in lessons.
The department's tennis division also enjoyed a busy year, according to the report.
The Seaview and Phipps Ocean Park tennis centers were in high demand during the 2023 fiscal year, with Head Pro Dejan Minic and his team fully booked on most days.
The Seaview Tennis Center, at 340 Seaview Ave., underwent a significant lighting upgrade during the 2023 fiscal year, but a project to renovate the courts and fencing was delayed by material shortages and concerns over potential disruptions to team tennis.
The project is expected to begin in June, according to the report.
Other improvements to tennis operations last year included the addition of shaded canopies to courts 6 and 7 at Seaview Park; new scoreboards at Phipps and Seaview parks; refreshed and expanded lines of apparel at the Phipps and Seaview pro shops; and the hiring of a contractor to take care of daily court maintenance.
Revenue for the Mandel Recreation Center broke the record set last year by 12.7%, with totalrevenue exceeding $926,000, according to the report.
The rec center offered more than 200 programs through the 2023 fiscal year, with the after-school program welcoming 30 participants each day.
Sports offerings included Story Time Soccer, Perseverance Basketball Camp, and Rush Soccer, which doubled its number of participants last year.
Fitness participation reached an all-time high at the center, with the staff conducting more than 1,100 sessions last year. The fitness center sold a record 357 memberships, with annual memberships being the most popular choice, according to the report.
During his presentation, Bresnahan noted that the department's cost-recovery goals were met in every division. Golf achieved a cost recovery of 176%, tennis attained 95% and recreation achieved 69%.
"That is pretty close to where we were at last year," Bresnahan said. "Tennis is slightly higher, and recreation is just a couple percent lower, and golf is pretty much in line with last year."
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach's recreation department enjoys record-setting year
