The Week That Was, february 9, 2014

     In 2013, the number of rounds played at U.S. golf facilities fell by 4.8 percent, according to the numbers crunchers at PGA PerformanceTrak. Every type of U.S. golf property showed a decline -- resort properties by 1.2 percent, private courses by 4.4 percent, daily-fee tracks by 5 percent, and municipal, military, and university courses by 5.9 percent. The PGA and its data-gathering partners place most of the blame on cold and rainy days and subsequent weather-related closings, for they’ve determined that on playable days last year the average U.S. golf facility attracted more play than it did in 2012 or 2011. Presumably, that means U.S. course operators have something to look forward to in 2014.

     When it comes to our inability to attract new players, sometimes it appears that golf has reached the fifth and final stage of grief: Acceptance. A case in point: At the recent PGA Merchandise Show, David Fay suggested that golf will forever be a niche sport and that the growth prospects touted in years past by industry promoters were mostly pie in the sky. “I’ve always been skeptical that the number of golfers people talked about was real,” the former executive director of the U.S. Golf Association confessed to the Wall Street Journal. Fay’s conclusion: “The industry got bamboozled.” So maybe it’s time to ask: How many others in positions of power had similar reservations and failed to express them? Because when such truths are revealed, many in our business arrive at another stage of grief: Anger.

     Tiger Woods’ exhibition match with corporate big-wigs in caste-conscious New Delhi most certainly generated plenty of over-excited media fanfare -- “God came to India yesterday,” a frenzied newspaper wrote -- but how did it play outside the gates of Delhi Golf Club? An Indian news service reports that golfers who can’t afford a club membership were “disappointed” and “a little aggrieved” because they couldn’t attend the show. “It’s a shame that normal people can’t see [Woods] play,” one of them griped. “You have to be a member or know some big shots. This once again proves that golf is such an elitist sport.” The upshot: Woods’ appearance may have gratified the city’s business elite, but it didn’t improve golf’s public image.

     Mike Keiser’s forthcoming golf mecca in Wisconsin may draw comparisons to Bandon Dunes and Cabot Links, but it’s going to have a personality all its own. In a conversation with Golf Tripper, Keiser acknowledged that the master plan for Sand Valley includes houses on the property’s periphery, a few large “cottages” that will be available for overnight guests, and, in the future, possibly some “dormitories.” What’s more, the venue is going to provide carts when its customers insist on using them. And, in another departure for Keiser, the property’s first course, by Coore & Crenshaw, will be designed to host high-level professional events. “I will definitely show the site to the USGA as it is being built and then invite them to play a hand, or at least have some influence, on what kind of back tees we are building,” Keiser explained, adding, “The PGA will be welcomed as well.” Is this the sound of a no-compromises developer going commercial?

     Has Bob Parsons pulled a fast one on some unwanted members of Scottsdale National Golf Club? Parsons, the GoDaddy creator who recently purchased the financially troubled club in suburban Phoenix, Arizona, has concluded that it was being drained by members who played too often and offered full refunds to those who don’t wish to be part of the ultra-exclusive “national club” he aims to create. In a letter explaining his vision of the future, Parsons outlined new policies -- in particular, a limit of 30 rounds per year -- that reportedly caused 65 members to accept the buyout. Then, once those members had resigned, Parsons eliminated the 30-round limit for all remaining members and trimmed their monthly dues by $100. Parsons’ moves have ticked off some of the recently departed. “He promised one thing and did something else,” one of them complained to the Arizona Republic. Parsons currently has 109 members at Scottsdale National. He doesn’t plan to begin soliciting more members for a year or more, until he completes planned improvements to the club’s golf course and builds a new clubhouse.

     A columnist for the Modesto Bee believes that the impact of California’s persistent drought will be felt at his city’s golf courses this year. “Serious cutbacks in water use probably will be the norm this summer,” writes Ron Agostini, who advises his readers to “brace for brown fairways, baked greens, and more firm conditions.” Agostini also reports a statistic that may cause trouble in the future: The average golf course in California uses between 81.5 million and 146.7 million gallons of water annually.

     M. G. Orender, one of the best-known people in U.S. golf, is going to help one of Spain’s most luxurious golf resorts get back on its financial feet. The former president of the PGA of America (and current president of Hampton Golf) has joined the board of directors of La Manga Club, a 1,400-acre resort community outside Cartagena that was forced to declare for bankruptcy protection in 2008. Orender’s role will be to “advise us in the process of transforming our resort into one of the Europe’s best golf destinations,” said a club official who believes that the appointment “shows our commitment and dedication to achieving the repositioning of La Manga Club resort in a short and medium term.” La Manga, which has three 18-hole courses, is owned by Med Group, a Barcelona-based firm that owns three other Spanish golf properties and aims to build three others.

     Tony Jacklin, the beneficiary of Jack Nicklaus’ famous “concession” in the 1969 Ryder Cup matches, has become a “brand ambassador” for Lynx Golf UK. “We are building a young, dynamic, exciting team with a huge determination to be a genuine British success,” said the company’s CEO, who believes that there’s a “tremendous synergy between Lynx, Tony as a person, and whole Tony Jacklin brand.” Earlier this year, Jacklin also agreed to be a spokesman for the Lyle & Scott apparel, a brand he began wearing after he turned pro in the 1960s.