Golfers from around the country are in the Southern Tier this week for the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. And while the featured courses are getting plenty of name recognition, another local club is hoping to just break even. Janelle Burrell has the story.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

"We've had several rankings and stuff throughout the state and throughout the country," said Bernie Herceg, PGA Director at the Links at Hiawatha.

But for the lesser known, Binghamton-owned Ely Park Golf Course this year is all about overcoming its past shortfalls.

After putting the city more than $20,000 in the red last year, city officials decided to lease it to a private company. In the last several months the company has put in about $70,000 in upgrades and it isn't going unnoticed.

"The new owners are definitely golfer friendly. The course is playing really nice," said Ely Golf Course member Bill Kenville.

"In this business and any kind of business, if you work hard enough and you give the customers what they are looking for," said Eduardo Matesanz. "You never see any major problems."

Matesanz is a partner of Ely Park LLC, the management company now overseeing the course. He says Ely's exquisite views give other courses a run for their money. And by offering play at a fraction of their costs they're seeing a steady stream of business.
"Everybody is competition, no doubt about it. But we're doing pretty good for ourselves," he said.

According to the National Golf Foundation, public courses around the country have been hit hard because of competition from newer, private courses. They estimate as many as one thousand public course will close within the next five years. But management at Ely says they're remaining optimistic based on their success so far.

"We put a lot of money into the golf course so hopefully it can work out in the end," Matesanz said.

The city, which now receives $60,000 a year in rent, will break even for the first time in years.

"They've just done a really good job already, so I think it's a real good public, private partnership that's working," said Binghamton mayor Matt Ryan.

It's a partnership they hope will defy statistics and continue its 77 year tradition of golf in the region.