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GolfNews
Ontheotherhand,
thePGA
ofAmericaisflushwithcash
from itsRyderCupandother
incomeproducingactivities.
ThePGATourisflooded
withFortune500Companies
lininguptopayinexcessof$6
miliontosponsoratourevent.
ThetotalpursesonthePGA
Tourthisseason
wiltop$285
milion
fortheregularseason,
plusanother
$65milion
wil
bedividedupfortheFedEx
Cupbonuspoolandthefour
playof tournaments. The
USGA wil begin its new
contractwithFoxthatdoles
outover$1bilionoverthe
next12years.
Meanwhile,Caloway Golf
hasnotmadeaprofit
infive
yearsandlost$19milionlast
year.Localgolfretailersand
golfclubs are realizing a
declineinleagueplayaswel
asfewerwalkupgreenfees.
HickoryGroveGolfClubWon’t
Openin2015
Every industry experiences
busines cyclesandlocalgolf
owners have not fuly
recoveredfrom theeconomic
recessionof2007-2009.Too
manygolfcourseswerebuilt
and now there’sa declining
populationthatwanttoplay.
OneofthegolfcoursesI
enjoyed playing asa young
manhasannounceditwilnot
openitsdoorsin2015,
after51
yearsservinggolfersintheir
smal community.
A dificult
decisionforsure,butonebased
ontheeconomicsofthetimes.
Iwasplayingthatcourseona
warm July,Sundaymorningin
1977,whentheAssistantPro
cameouttothe13thholeto
conveythemessagethat
mywifehadsummoned
mehometotakehertothe
hospital forthebirthofour
firstchild.
AlthoughIwilneverbeableto
enjoyaroundofgolfatthat
courseinthefuture,Iwilhave
the wonderful memories of
searchingforparsandplaying
with Tanker, Donny, Hawk,
Patchandtherestofthehacks
atHickoryGrove.
Support your localgolf
courseandproshop.
They
needit!
Thegolfeconomy
todayis
amixedbag,whilesomeareas
areverystrong,otherpartsare
sufering.
Partofthereasonisthat
youngpeopledonotseem to
be taking to the game as
previousgenerations.Withthe
varietyofactivitiesavailableto
theXandYGenerations,other
sports seem to be more
atractive.
Aslow walkaroundagolf
course can’t compete with
mountainbikingorzip-lines.
Checkanypublicgolfcourse
greenfeesheetfrom15years
agoandtheoddsarethatthe
costfora9-holeor18-hole
roundwashigherthanitis
today.Atthesametimethe
costsincuredforfuel,seed,
fertilizer and labor have
increased,notdecreased.
By
FredAltvater