I grew up near a ski resort in Utah, and this is already a thing they do. Plenty of community programs that make it free to ski on certain days. I even got free ski lessons one year because I was on the honor roll at school.

The ski resorts bring in significant tourism (in a way the golf courses in Utah do not) that benefits lots of people (including plenty of small businesses that cater to ski tourism, everything from fancy lattes to winter gear).

I just don't think it's quite equivalent to golf courses (and now that I live across the country, I don't really have a dog in this fight. I don't even like skiing!)