The fate of Fisher Park golf course continues to hang in the balance as ways are explored to keep the nine-hole course in operation, and what a shame it would be if three important words are forgotten when judging its value to the community: quality of life.

Recent use of the pitch-and-putt course is down from past years, and city officials have put out the word: Use it or lose it. While that simplistic approach might sound good to accountants, it begs the larger question of how far do the city and local taxpayers go to maintain quality of life issues in the city?

Parks, swimming pools and the city's only municipal golf course all enhance the recreational health of the community. Should they be self-supporting or even make a profit? Not necessarily. Value isn't always measured in cost.

Fisher is a good example of a positive influence now available in the city that, once gone, most likely will never come back or be replaced. That's not a good message for city officials to send to the public. If Fisher goes, what's next in diminishing the quality of life in the community?

Extending the logic of cost effectiveness, police and fire protection are public health and safety issues that certainly enhance the quality of life in the community. But technically, they're not self-supporting or cost-effective, but no community would want -- or should want -- to be without either.

We repeat our previous editorial position that there are a couple of possible options that should be explored before any serious talk of closure of the course. Look at the feasibility of privatizing it; or, better yet, launch an aggressive marketing campaign to capitalize on Fisher's major assets and boost usage.

Another potential link for further exploration is the arrival in town of the nonprofit group First Tee of Yakima.

The organization uses golf as a way to promote positive character values and by sixth grade, participants will have learned the values of courtesy, perseverance and sportsmanship.

The group's Web site states that Yakima area kids from 5 to 18 can join The First Tee of Yakima for $50, and full scholarships are available to any child in need. The activity fee allows members to utilize golf courses and training sites and enters them in the life skills program.

Participants don't even have to have their own golf equipment.

Suntides and Fisher, along with basic fundamentals at Kiwanis Park, will be used in a summer program for young learning golfers. And while green fees are not charged at Fisher as part of an agreement with the city, there will be special reduced junior fees for the young golfers who want to play during off-program hours. The program hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Thursday.

What we see as potential added benefits of this program are the possibility that First Tee can not only help kids develop good character and a healthy hobby, but also possibly create a whole new generation of local golfers.

That, in turn, could lead to more customers for Fisher, since it's such a good fit for young, learning golfers who don't yet drive off the tee like a Tiger Woods.

A study group is looking into ways of promoting the course and every effort helps. We're simply not giving up on a quality of life component that has so much potential if properly utilized.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.