OPA Board of Directors meet, discuss, and approve General Manager's golf plan. 11/10/2007. GM's presentation runs to around the 22-minute mark, followed by questions and discussion by board. Some very interesting discussion begins when Director Bill Rakow makes some remarks at around the 50-minute mark.

Background: OPA Board of Directors meet, discuss, and approve General Manager's golf plan. 11/10/2007. GM's presentation runs to around the 22-minute mark, followed by questions and discussion by board. Some very interesting discussion begins when Director Bill Rakow makes some remarks at around the 50-minute mark.

Les Purcell says "last year was a step in the right direction."

Dave Stevens says this is the first time a positive step is taken in the right direction.

Ralph Menton, President of Board of Golf Governors, heaps praise on GM Tom Olson for progress this year.

So, what is the basis for all this praise on the current plan and relatively minor changes for the coming year, including a 10% increase in membership rates?

Menton says Olson has reduced the golf loss from $167,000 last year to $114,000 this year. Sounds good, but we have five months of low income and continued expense ahead in the fiscal year. The year isn't over, yet Olson is receiving accolades for reducing the golf losses. Let's hope this is eventually correct. However, in January of last year we were told golf losses would be $112,000, but by the end of April the audited loss was at $167,000.

This is essentially a "tweak" of last year's plan.

Interestingly, Olson wants to continue with Pam's Golf as a booking agent but it appears OPA could lose $30,000 owed by Pam's Golf, and the financially troubled company seems headed for ownership by River Run. If so, one can only wonder how many of the better bookings will come to Ocean Pines.

History indicates that every increase in membership fees results in a loss of members. Despite history, Olson believes OPA will lose no golf members this time due to the increase.

Marty Clarke was the only director voting against the plan. Rakow made a motion to approve but he did not seem particularly confident the plan would work. He said he would support the plan as there was no other plan submitted and he wasn't in favor of second-guessing the GM on this. Rakow did make it clear however that if the plan fails, next year the board will need to look at some serious changes in how OPA operates the golf course.