Is There Anybody Out There?: What Other Golf Bloggers Are Talking About

This week I spent some time wandering through the blogoshere to find others committed to following the latest in golf problems and solutions. I would have to say that I did not feel to great about the sport after reading Chris Henry’s piece, “The Screws Tighten” at Eagle Par Birdie. His entry directed me to an article that shows starkly different data on green fee prices and number of rounds played on which I had previously reported, and paints a very gloomy picture. I am interested to find out what Mr. Henry thinks the industry will have to do in order to adapt to the slumping economy. Maybe I can get his opinion on the next piece, too. In Deeds & Weeds, a blog on Golf Digest’s website focused on Real Estate and Finance, Geoff Russell took a more narrow focus in detailing two cases in which country clubs are offering rounds to the public in hopes of increasing revenues. In “Ohio Club Allows Public Play: A Sign of the Times?” Mr. Russell may have found an opportunity for other struggling country clubs in America. The piece is very interesting and brings to my attention a new strategy for private clubs. I enjoyed both posts and left comments for the authors, which you can view below.

“The Screws Tighten”
Comment

I, too, am deeply troubled by the challenges the game of golf must face in 2009, so much so that I created a blog last month to explore the subject. This is a topic I want to find more about, and I appreciate your post and link to the article on Golf.com. It seems apparent now that the industry over invested in Tiger’s success and began opening courses at a rate the market could not support. I agree with you that the data looks gloomy, but if you get the chance, check out the January 2009 PGA PerformanceTrack data (I linked to it on my blog). The study compares 2008 data to 2007, and actually states that green fees went up last year. It sure is different from what the NGF is saying. I was rather surprised when I saw their data last week, it seemed too good to be true. They report that rounds played were down only 0.8% last year compared to 2007, and most of that looks attributable to poorer weather.

Anyways, what do you think course managers will have to do to keep people on the course? I came across another entry this week (also linked on my blog) that talks about a private course in Ohio that will allow public golfers to play on weekdays after noon and weekends after 2 p.m. You mentioned that golf courses are going to have to get creative, do you think this will work? I guess time will tell. I take comfort in knowing that at least this week, fans across America will actually watch the game, though. Thank God Tiger Woods is back.

“Ohio Club Allows Public Play: Sign of the Times?
Comment

Thank you for bringing this article to my attention. I have been exploring the game as it meets the challenges brought on by the lagging economy on my own blog since the beginning of the year. I believe this strategy may very well be one that other private clubs adopt in the coming quarters. From what I have read, there are a lot of club members that are seeking to sell their memberships, and even others losing their equity stakes because they can not make their monthly payments. Wildwood’s members must have been facing the same dilemma when they agreed to this policy. I am interested to find out if you agree with the move, do you think it will work? I can imagine some of the members are going to be really upset come April 1 when they have to share their beloved course with the public.

It is going to be an immensely challenging year for the sport, and I’m looking forward to reading more that you and Mr. Finch have to say about golf real estate and finance. As you have shown in this post, course mangers are going to have to be creative in order to stay alive. I do not believe, however, that the line between public and private golf courses should be so blurred. Wildwood’s managers have probably already tried other options, like lowering initial membership fees to attract new golfers or lowering annual fees to keep their current members. I hope, for their sake, that the strategy works. However, I think that as soon as the economy moves in the right directions, they should stop this policy and work on making their members appreciate again what it means to be a in a club. And, to be perfectly candid, I’ve never been in one.