Early next year, Gil Hanse figures to give Thailand its initial taste of classic American golf. His 18-hole layout at Ballyshear Golf Links at Ban Rakat Club, an homage to Golden-Age legends C. B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, is taking shape outside Bangkok, on property that serves as the home of Kiarti Thanee Country Club. Golfasian describes Kiarti Thanee as “a favorite” of the area’s Japanese golfers, and the re-do of its Yoshiharu Aihara-designed golf course has been orchestrated by a Japanese golf operator, Yokohama International Golf Club Co., Ltd. The commission is Hanse’s first in the Land of Smiles, and in a press release the Malvern, Pennsylvania-based designer promises that it’ll be “like nothing else in Thailand.” He’s been inspired by Lido Golf Club, a long-lost venue on New York’s Long Island that opinion-makers in our industry revere even though not one of them has ever played it, as it disappeared in 1942. That’s part of the reason why Lido has, to use Hanse’s word, “mythic” status. Yokohama is promoting its rebranded club as “something completely unique to the market,” a pitch that will certainly resonate among some of the company’s prospective members. But few of Bangkok’s golfers appreciate golf’s history and mythology as much as Hanse does. In the end, one suspects that all the talk about Macdonald and Raynor and Lido is really being directed at golfers who are likely to visit Bangkok, not live there.
Pipeline Overflow – In October, Tad King and Rob Collins expect to take the wraps off their re-do of the 18-hole, George Cobb-designed track at the storm-battered Sea Palms Resort. The resort, on St. Simons Island in Georgia, suffered damage from hurricanes in 2017 and 2018, and its new owners believe an improved golf course is key to the property’s revitalization. . . . Tom Fazio’s redesign of Wynn Golf Club, at the site of the former Desert Inn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, is also scheduled to open in October. Citing a press release, Golfweek reports that the Fazio “enhanced” the property’s “desert atmosphere” with “significant elevation changes, water features and trees.” . . . Golfasian reports that Phil Ryan’s re-do of the former Thai Muang Golf Club, outside Phuket, Thailand, is on track to debut in mid 2020. The original course, an Andy Dye design, was washed away by the tsunami in 2015. When it re-opens, the property will operate as Aquella Golf Resort & Country Club.
Cypress Creek Golfers' Club, which promotes itself as “a ‘must see/must play’ for everyone who enjoys a memorable Hampton Roads golf experience,” has changed hands. Dois Rosser, who’s said to be 98, reportedly accepted $775,000 for his 21-year-old club in suburban Norfolk, Virginia. The venue features an 18-hole course designed by Tom Clark, with assistance from his occasional “signature” collaborator, Curtis Strange. The new owners, a trio of local investors, has promised to make Cypress Creek “one of the best courses in our area.”
Surplus Transactions – Homeowners in a Sun City by Del Webb community in Apple Valley, California have voted to purchase their David Rainville-designed golf complex. Ashwood Golf Course, consisting of 27 executive-length holes, has reportedly lost $500,000 annually of late, despite ringing up roughly 45,000 rounds a year. . . . Government officials in Bluefield, Virginia, self-described as “nature’s air conditioned city,” have voted to buy Fincastle on the Mountain, an 18-hole, Dick Wilson-designed course that opened in the early 1960s. The town plans to open the former private club, which features a swimming pool, tennis courts, and other recreational amenities, to the public. . . . Grant County Port District 7 has agreed to sell Banks Lake Golf Course, in Electric City, Washington, to a group led by Scott Garrits, reportedly for $1.8 million. The 18-hole course, which is located just a short drive from the Grand Coulee Dam, was designed by Keith Hellstrom and opened in 1985.
Duly Noted – J. P. McManus’s €70 million ($78 million) bet on the promise of Adare Manor has paid off. The racehorse breeder’s recently refurbished, 840-acre resort in County Limerick, Ireland, with a golf course overhauled by Tom Fazio (“an absolute masterpiece,” according to the European Tour), will host the Ryder Cup competition in 2026, just as McManus imagined it would. . . . More data from the National Golf Foundation: The Jupiter, Florida-based trade group has determined that 198.5 of its so-called 18-hole equivalent courses closed permanently last year, roughly equal to the number that bit the dust in 2017, while 12.5 opened, down by three from 2017. The NGF predicts that another 165 to 240 courses will close this year, while 10 to 20 will open. . . . Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, the municipal course in New York City operated by you know who, lost money for the first time during its most recent fiscal year – $122,000, to be exact. Citing results provided by the city, the Washington Post reports that the number of rounds played at the venue has fallen every year since it opened, in 2015.
In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Sunday, July 21, 2019
The Week That Was, july 21, 2019
The Philippine government, acting through the Bases Conversion & Development Authority, is looking for a developer eager to build a “luxury mountain resort” in Tarlac Province, roughly 80 miles north of Manila. Details haven’t been spelled out, but the first bidder for the lease on the 1,125-acre property intends to build what’s been described as a “luxury hotel” and an 18-hole “championship” golf course. The to-be-named, 1,125-acre resort is part of the master plan for New Clark City, a massive (more than 23,000 acres) spread that’s being billed as “the first smart, green, and sustainable metropolis in the Philippines.” A major sports complex is currently being built at New Clark City, which is expected to have more than 1 million residents at build-out.
Pipeline Overflow – Ernest Moody, who’s said to be “one of the most influential figures in the gaming manufacturing industry,” has purchased a 400-acre site on Kaua’i Island, and he may build a golf course on it. “Nothing’s definite yet,” Moody’s attorney told the Garden Island, but the property’s previous owner, Amfac Sugar, had the same idea. . . . A government official in Tunisia has floated an idea to build a golf course outside Mahdia, a coastal city that Lonely Planet believes is “blessed with a truly spectacular setting.” A Tunisian news service says that the ministry of tourism and handicrafts thinks Mahdia has “real potential” to become a vacation destination. . . . Government officials in Himachal Pradesh, India have signed a memorandum of understanding with a private-sector group that intends to build what’s being billed as “a golf resort” in Kangra, a district that reportedly has a population of more than 1.5 million. CM Corps, which appears to be a Delhi-based entity, hopes to break ground on the resort early next year.
WeaverRidge Golf Club, a venue that Top100GolfCourses.com says is “regarded as one of the best in the state of Illinois,” has changed hands. The 22-year-old club, which features an 18-hole course that was co-designed by Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry, was recently purchased by Jim and Carol Ring, the owners of the nearby Metamora Fields Golf Club. The Rings told the Woodford Times that they’ve seen “a little bit of a decline” in business at Metamora Fields, and they’re hoping “to give golfers from Chicago and other areas an opportunity to come and play two great and very different courses.” WeaverRidge’s previous owners, Jerry and Matt Weaver, had reportedly been looking to sell their property for “the past several years.”
Surplus Transactions – Gulf County, Florida has paid $390,000 for St. Joseph Bay Golf Club, a venue in Port St. Joe that features an 18-hole, Bill Amick-designed golf course. The Panama City News Herald says that the club, which has operated for a half-century, “would likely have been forced to close if not for the county stepping in.” . . . While acknowledging that “it’s probably not the smartest investment I’ve ever made,” Bill MacCready has acquired Deer Run Golf Course, a nine-hole track in Horton, Michigan. MacCready told the Jackson Citizen Patriot that he bought the 55-year-old property because “you don’t live forever and there’s no banks in heaven.” . . . The unidentified entity that earlier this year agreed to buy Pendleton Country Club (“Eastern Oregon’s best-kept golfing secret”) is the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Assuming the transaction closes, Pendleton will complement the tribes’ Wildhorse Resort & Casino, which also has an 18-hole track.
Duly Noted – We’re still more than two years from 2022’s PGA Championship, and voices in golf are encouraging the PGA of America to break its alliance with the Trump venue in Bedminster, New Jersey. You can add mine to the list. The PGA professes to steer clear of politics, but it’s likely to have a sobering public-relations moment on its hands if it doesn’t soon announce its intention to find an alternative site. There’s a reason why the R&A hasn’t committed to hosting an Open at Trump Turnberry. . . . Local governments in China pulled the plug on 14 golf courses in Hunan, Hainan, Sichuan, and eight other provinces last year, according to an official report. Since the crackdown on golf began, in 2011, 127 golf courses in the People’s Republic have closed, and authorities have pledged to continue rooting out various forms of misconduct in the nation’s golf industry. . . . The National Golf Foundation has crunched the numbers, and it’s determined that at year-end 2018 the United States was home to 16,693 golf courses at 14,613 facilities. Golf operations continues to be a shrinking business in the United States, as the Jupiter, Florida-based trade group says that both numbers represent a 1.2 percent decline from those posted in 2017.
In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”
Pipeline Overflow – Ernest Moody, who’s said to be “one of the most influential figures in the gaming manufacturing industry,” has purchased a 400-acre site on Kaua’i Island, and he may build a golf course on it. “Nothing’s definite yet,” Moody’s attorney told the Garden Island, but the property’s previous owner, Amfac Sugar, had the same idea. . . . A government official in Tunisia has floated an idea to build a golf course outside Mahdia, a coastal city that Lonely Planet believes is “blessed with a truly spectacular setting.” A Tunisian news service says that the ministry of tourism and handicrafts thinks Mahdia has “real potential” to become a vacation destination. . . . Government officials in Himachal Pradesh, India have signed a memorandum of understanding with a private-sector group that intends to build what’s being billed as “a golf resort” in Kangra, a district that reportedly has a population of more than 1.5 million. CM Corps, which appears to be a Delhi-based entity, hopes to break ground on the resort early next year.
WeaverRidge Golf Club, a venue that Top100GolfCourses.com says is “regarded as one of the best in the state of Illinois,” has changed hands. The 22-year-old club, which features an 18-hole course that was co-designed by Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry, was recently purchased by Jim and Carol Ring, the owners of the nearby Metamora Fields Golf Club. The Rings told the Woodford Times that they’ve seen “a little bit of a decline” in business at Metamora Fields, and they’re hoping “to give golfers from Chicago and other areas an opportunity to come and play two great and very different courses.” WeaverRidge’s previous owners, Jerry and Matt Weaver, had reportedly been looking to sell their property for “the past several years.”
Surplus Transactions – Gulf County, Florida has paid $390,000 for St. Joseph Bay Golf Club, a venue in Port St. Joe that features an 18-hole, Bill Amick-designed golf course. The Panama City News Herald says that the club, which has operated for a half-century, “would likely have been forced to close if not for the county stepping in.” . . . While acknowledging that “it’s probably not the smartest investment I’ve ever made,” Bill MacCready has acquired Deer Run Golf Course, a nine-hole track in Horton, Michigan. MacCready told the Jackson Citizen Patriot that he bought the 55-year-old property because “you don’t live forever and there’s no banks in heaven.” . . . The unidentified entity that earlier this year agreed to buy Pendleton Country Club (“Eastern Oregon’s best-kept golfing secret”) is the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Assuming the transaction closes, Pendleton will complement the tribes’ Wildhorse Resort & Casino, which also has an 18-hole track.
Duly Noted – We’re still more than two years from 2022’s PGA Championship, and voices in golf are encouraging the PGA of America to break its alliance with the Trump venue in Bedminster, New Jersey. You can add mine to the list. The PGA professes to steer clear of politics, but it’s likely to have a sobering public-relations moment on its hands if it doesn’t soon announce its intention to find an alternative site. There’s a reason why the R&A hasn’t committed to hosting an Open at Trump Turnberry. . . . Local governments in China pulled the plug on 14 golf courses in Hunan, Hainan, Sichuan, and eight other provinces last year, according to an official report. Since the crackdown on golf began, in 2011, 127 golf courses in the People’s Republic have closed, and authorities have pledged to continue rooting out various forms of misconduct in the nation’s golf industry. . . . The National Golf Foundation has crunched the numbers, and it’s determined that at year-end 2018 the United States was home to 16,693 golf courses at 14,613 facilities. Golf operations continues to be a shrinking business in the United States, as the Jupiter, Florida-based trade group says that both numbers represent a 1.2 percent decline from those posted in 2017.
In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”
Sunday, July 14, 2019
The Week That Was, july 14, 2019
At long last, Cleve Trimble’s proposed world-class golf course in the Sand Hills of Nebraska is taking shape. Unfortunately, the forthcoming 18-hole track, located on property adjacent to the Prairie Club in Valentine, is being built largely without Trimble, who’s now involved in the venture only as a “respected elderly consultant.” Last year Trimble, who once owned the Prairie Club, sold the tract that’s to become the home of the Ranch Golf Club to an investment group led by John Schuele, the president of a firm that manages investments for the fellow who founded Gateway Computers. Schuele has renewed ties with Trimble’s architect of choice, Gil Hanse, who told the Omaha World-Herald that he’s working on “a property I loved from the moment I walked on it.” The new owners plan to build some cottages for overnight stays, but they aren’t promoting the “haunting serenity” that Trimble once promised, maybe because they fear it might scare off potential members.
Pipeline Overflow – Only a year ago, Nicklaus Design bragged of having so much work in Asia and Southeast Asia that “it is sometimes a challenge to keep up with it.” The challenge appears to have been met, because the empire has announced that it’s “finalizing agreements for additional new projects in Thailand, China, and Vietnam.” . . . Politico suggests that the Trump Organization’s partnership with MNC Land won’t be limited to the two previously announced resorts in Indonesia. Although it provides no details, MNC has indicated that an “aggressive global expansion” of Trump-branded properties in on the horizon, with “numerous projects in the pipeline.” . . . An Arizona-based developer hopes to re-imagine the 18-hole, Press Maxwell-designed layout at a recently deceased club in Germantown, Tennessee as a nine-hole short course that’s “fun, but still challenging.” Millennium Companies intends “to maintain the spirit and memories of Germantown Country Club” by surrounding its proposed Forrest Richardson-designed track with single-family houses, townhouses, and a shopping area.
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the owner of the destination-worthy Cedar Point amusement park outside Cleveland, Ohio (it’s the self-described “roller coaster capital of the world”), has sprung for what’s said to be the fourth solo design by Tom Fazio. The 18-hole layout, the first in Cedar Fair’s fast-growing real-estate portfolio, is the centerpiece of the nearby Sawmill Creek Resort, a faded lakefront spread that features a 236-room hotel, meeting space, a marina, and, naturally, a shopping area. Cedar Fair reportedly paid $13.5 million for the 235-acre property.
Surplus Transactions – A development group has paid $24 million for Park Hill Golf Club, an 88-year-old venue in Denver, Colorado. Westside Investment Partners hasn’t outlined its plans for the club’s 155 acres, but affordable houses and a shopping area appear to be the prime considerations. . . . The clock is ticking on Golden Gate Country Club, a 53-year-old property in Naples, Florida that features an 18-hole, Dick Wilson-designed layout. Elected officials in Collier County have voted to pay $29.1 million for the club, as they believe its 167 acres are well-suited for houses and office space, although one commissioner thinks the area can support a 12-hole course. . . . For an undisclosed price, a Texas-based investment group has acquired Five Oaks Golf & Country Club, an 18-year-old venue in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. The new owners plan to “get to know some membership and get to know the area and try and figure out what works and what doesn't work.”
The municipal golf operations in Louisville, Kentucky and Portland, Oregon are being squeezed by all the oft-cited financial pressures, and both cities are considering substantive changes, including course closures. Here’s a bit of what else is happening on Desolation Row:
– Deer Run Golf Course, known upon its opening (in 2003) as Country Club of Deer Run, is nowadays reportedly “not a pretty sight to see,” with “dead greens, burnt grass, and an empty parking lot.” Bob Dello Russo and some partners paid $1.5 million for the then-struggling 18-hole Lloyd Clifton-designed layout in Casselberry, Florida in 2005, and now they’ve pulled the plug on it. A former employee asserted that the owners had “not put any money into the golf course in a few years.”
– Gypsy Hill Golf Course will operate through 2020, but after that all bets are off. City officials in Staunton, Virginia have reportedly been thinking for years about closing the money-losing 18-hole layout, which this year celebrates its 100th birthday.
– Ranchland Hills Country Club, an 18-hole golf course in Midland, Texas, will operate for another year or two, but it’ll eventually become the site of a new high school. The Midland Independent School District recently paid $9.5 million for the 117-acre property, which has been a golf course since 1948.
– Candlewood Golf Course, a nine-hole track that’s operated in Ipswich, Massachusetts since 1993, reportedly “looks to be a golf course no more,” with fairways that have “knee-high weeds growing in them.” Candlewood’s owners haven’t responded to inquiries from a local newspaper, and they haven’t informed the city about their plans for the property.
– Golf Club at Ballantyne, a recreational amenity for a 2,000-acre office park in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, has been sold, and its new owner plans to replace it with apartments, an amphitheater, a town center, and other attractions. The 18-hole course has been in business since 1997.
– Apple Valley Golf Course, in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, may soon become a subdivision. A planning official told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that the owner of the nine-hole track “says he’s not making any money.”
– Mill Creek Golf Course, an 18-hole, Roy Case-design in Geneva, Illinois, has been closed all of this year and part of last year, but its owners are said to be conducting “inspections of the facilities and grounds to determine what needs to be done to open the course for the 2020 season.”
– Margate Executive Golf Course, a going concern outside Boca Raton since the 1970s, has been targeted for residential development. A division of Lennar Corporation believes that the course is “suffering from the oversupply of golf courses” in South Florida.
– Northcliffe Golf Course, a Joe Finger-designed track in greater San Antonio, Texas, closed in late May. Though nearby residents want Northcliffe to remain open, it’s said to be one of “at least four other courses” that Darsen Chen, a Taiwanese businessman, has shuttered after, in the words of the San Antonio Express-News, “investment in the course fell off and business declined.”
Duly Noted – Mike Keiser has organized support for his dream of building an airport within a short drive of Cabot Links, and a Canadian news service reports that government officials at both the provincial and federal levels “are prepared to consider” an $18 million funding package. A critic has called the arguments in favor of construction “thin” and “misleading,” but pressure to increase tourism on Cape Breton Island may prove to be irresistible. . . . Speaking of Mike Keiser, his golf community on Saint Lucia has sparked controversy and, as a result, is experiencing political turbulence. It turns out that the Cabot Point venture is being financed in part (perhaps in large part) by an island-based pension fund, and critics are wondering why their retirement money is being invested in a project that, in one detractor’s words, “enrich private foreign investors.” . . . Forbes is underwhelmed by the recently opened Jack Nicklaus “signature” layout in Ifrane, Morocco. Except for a short stretch of holes on the back nine, the magazine believes that Michlifen Golf Club is “a mixed bag” with “straightforward hole strategies and generic bunker shaping” that make for “a somewhat vanilla game.” Conclusion: “It feels like the kind of course that American ski resorts develop in order to offer a low-season amenity.”
In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”
Pipeline Overflow – Only a year ago, Nicklaus Design bragged of having so much work in Asia and Southeast Asia that “it is sometimes a challenge to keep up with it.” The challenge appears to have been met, because the empire has announced that it’s “finalizing agreements for additional new projects in Thailand, China, and Vietnam.” . . . Politico suggests that the Trump Organization’s partnership with MNC Land won’t be limited to the two previously announced resorts in Indonesia. Although it provides no details, MNC has indicated that an “aggressive global expansion” of Trump-branded properties in on the horizon, with “numerous projects in the pipeline.” . . . An Arizona-based developer hopes to re-imagine the 18-hole, Press Maxwell-designed layout at a recently deceased club in Germantown, Tennessee as a nine-hole short course that’s “fun, but still challenging.” Millennium Companies intends “to maintain the spirit and memories of Germantown Country Club” by surrounding its proposed Forrest Richardson-designed track with single-family houses, townhouses, and a shopping area.
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the owner of the destination-worthy Cedar Point amusement park outside Cleveland, Ohio (it’s the self-described “roller coaster capital of the world”), has sprung for what’s said to be the fourth solo design by Tom Fazio. The 18-hole layout, the first in Cedar Fair’s fast-growing real-estate portfolio, is the centerpiece of the nearby Sawmill Creek Resort, a faded lakefront spread that features a 236-room hotel, meeting space, a marina, and, naturally, a shopping area. Cedar Fair reportedly paid $13.5 million for the 235-acre property.
Surplus Transactions – A development group has paid $24 million for Park Hill Golf Club, an 88-year-old venue in Denver, Colorado. Westside Investment Partners hasn’t outlined its plans for the club’s 155 acres, but affordable houses and a shopping area appear to be the prime considerations. . . . The clock is ticking on Golden Gate Country Club, a 53-year-old property in Naples, Florida that features an 18-hole, Dick Wilson-designed layout. Elected officials in Collier County have voted to pay $29.1 million for the club, as they believe its 167 acres are well-suited for houses and office space, although one commissioner thinks the area can support a 12-hole course. . . . For an undisclosed price, a Texas-based investment group has acquired Five Oaks Golf & Country Club, an 18-year-old venue in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. The new owners plan to “get to know some membership and get to know the area and try and figure out what works and what doesn't work.”
The municipal golf operations in Louisville, Kentucky and Portland, Oregon are being squeezed by all the oft-cited financial pressures, and both cities are considering substantive changes, including course closures. Here’s a bit of what else is happening on Desolation Row:
– Deer Run Golf Course, known upon its opening (in 2003) as Country Club of Deer Run, is nowadays reportedly “not a pretty sight to see,” with “dead greens, burnt grass, and an empty parking lot.” Bob Dello Russo and some partners paid $1.5 million for the then-struggling 18-hole Lloyd Clifton-designed layout in Casselberry, Florida in 2005, and now they’ve pulled the plug on it. A former employee asserted that the owners had “not put any money into the golf course in a few years.”
– Gypsy Hill Golf Course will operate through 2020, but after that all bets are off. City officials in Staunton, Virginia have reportedly been thinking for years about closing the money-losing 18-hole layout, which this year celebrates its 100th birthday.
– Ranchland Hills Country Club, an 18-hole golf course in Midland, Texas, will operate for another year or two, but it’ll eventually become the site of a new high school. The Midland Independent School District recently paid $9.5 million for the 117-acre property, which has been a golf course since 1948.
– Candlewood Golf Course, a nine-hole track that’s operated in Ipswich, Massachusetts since 1993, reportedly “looks to be a golf course no more,” with fairways that have “knee-high weeds growing in them.” Candlewood’s owners haven’t responded to inquiries from a local newspaper, and they haven’t informed the city about their plans for the property.
– Golf Club at Ballantyne, a recreational amenity for a 2,000-acre office park in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, has been sold, and its new owner plans to replace it with apartments, an amphitheater, a town center, and other attractions. The 18-hole course has been in business since 1997.
– Apple Valley Golf Course, in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, may soon become a subdivision. A planning official told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that the owner of the nine-hole track “says he’s not making any money.”
– Mill Creek Golf Course, an 18-hole, Roy Case-design in Geneva, Illinois, has been closed all of this year and part of last year, but its owners are said to be conducting “inspections of the facilities and grounds to determine what needs to be done to open the course for the 2020 season.”
– Margate Executive Golf Course, a going concern outside Boca Raton since the 1970s, has been targeted for residential development. A division of Lennar Corporation believes that the course is “suffering from the oversupply of golf courses” in South Florida.
– Northcliffe Golf Course, a Joe Finger-designed track in greater San Antonio, Texas, closed in late May. Though nearby residents want Northcliffe to remain open, it’s said to be one of “at least four other courses” that Darsen Chen, a Taiwanese businessman, has shuttered after, in the words of the San Antonio Express-News, “investment in the course fell off and business declined.”
Duly Noted – Mike Keiser has organized support for his dream of building an airport within a short drive of Cabot Links, and a Canadian news service reports that government officials at both the provincial and federal levels “are prepared to consider” an $18 million funding package. A critic has called the arguments in favor of construction “thin” and “misleading,” but pressure to increase tourism on Cape Breton Island may prove to be irresistible. . . . Speaking of Mike Keiser, his golf community on Saint Lucia has sparked controversy and, as a result, is experiencing political turbulence. It turns out that the Cabot Point venture is being financed in part (perhaps in large part) by an island-based pension fund, and critics are wondering why their retirement money is being invested in a project that, in one detractor’s words, “enrich private foreign investors.” . . . Forbes is underwhelmed by the recently opened Jack Nicklaus “signature” layout in Ifrane, Morocco. Except for a short stretch of holes on the back nine, the magazine believes that Michlifen Golf Club is “a mixed bag” with “straightforward hole strategies and generic bunker shaping” that make for “a somewhat vanilla game.” Conclusion: “It feels like the kind of course that American ski resorts develop in order to offer a low-season amenity.”
In compliance with recently issued European laws regarding data collection, I’ve been asked to provide a statement about my use of the data that’s collected about those of you who read the World Golf Report. So here’s what I have to say on the subject: I don’t collect any data, and I don’t put any cookies into your computer. That being said, here’s some language that Google, the company that maintains this slice of cyberspace, would probably approve of: “We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.”
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