The Week That Was, august 11, 2019

     Last year, golf participation in the United States showed a welcome increase. According to the National Golf Foundation, 24.2 million people aged six and up played at least one round of golf in 2018, a bump of 400,000 from the 23.8 that the Jupiter, Florida-based trade group counted in 2017. Although the increase falls within the survey’s margin of error, the NGF is certainly happy to report that its calculation is “the first measured increase in 14 years.” Probe a little deeper, however, and our industry has reason to be concerned about the NGF’s findings, because the number of golfers aged 18 to 34 – described by the NGF as “one of the most coveted demographics for the industry’s future growth” – didn’t increase. It was flat, at 6.1 million. The boost in participation came from golfers aged 65 and over, who increased their numbers from 3.6 million in 2017 to 4.2 million in 2018. The upshot: Last year’s increase in participation came from 600,000 aging and aged golfers, whose numbers will eventually and inevitably erode. Still, after more than a decade of declines in participation, U.S. golf owners and operators will no doubt take what they can get.

     Earlier this year, it seemed that the pace of closings was slowing. Today, courses are dropping like flies. Here are a few that have recently departed.
      – The Wizard, a 23-year-old golf venue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is on track to be sold to a residential developer. The 18-hole, Dan Maples-designed course was built to complement another Maples creation, the nearby Man O’ War Golf Club, whose future is said to be secure, at least until someone makes an offer that can’t be refused.
     – Hunter’s Creek Golf Club is for sale, and the smart money says that its next owner will convert its 186 acres into housing. The club, which has been in business in Orlando since 1986, offers an 18-hole, Lloyd Clifton-designed course that’s said to be Florida’s longest.
     – Henderson Municipal Golf Course, a venue in Henderson, Kentucky WEHT-TV says is “one of the oldest courses east of the Mississippi,” has reached the end of the line. The nine-hole, executive-length track, described by a local player as “the best around for training young golfers,” made its debut in 1909.
     – Dumas Memorial Golf Course, one of six tracks owned by the park and recreation agency in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, will almost certainly close at the end of the 2019 golf season. Few complaints have been heard, as the 18-hole layout is a major financial drain. It reportedly rang up just 12,134 rounds last year and required nearly $500,000 in subsidies to remain afloat.
     – Wanaki Golf Course, an 18-hole municipal layout in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, will definitely close at the end of the 2019 golf season. The nearly 50-year-old layout, a co-design by Larry Packard and Bob Lohmann, has reportedly operated at a loss for a decade.
     – Blue Fox Run, a 27-hole complex in suburban Hartford, Connecticut, may soon lose nine of its holes to residential development. If local government officials approve the plan, the property’s owner intends to place the surviving holes in what’s been described as “a permanent conservation easement.”
     – FDR Golf Club, which has operated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 1940, will end its run at dusk on Halloween. The city’s parks and recreation department has concluded that the 18-hole track is “no longer sustainable due to frequent flooding and unprofitable operations.”
     – Pine Grove Golf Course, an 18-hole venue that’s operated in Northampton, Massachusetts since 1970, will go dark by the end of the year. Its owner, Gil Verrillo, has concluded that golf is “a dead sport,” and he hopes that 100 acres of his property is worth $650,000 to the city.
     – Gene Torres Golf Course, self-described as “a touch of Scotland in the heart of Las Vegas” – that would be Las Vegas, New Mexico – has been put on a strict budget and isn’t likely to operate in 2020. The nine-hole, Jeff Brauer-designed layout has reportedly lost roughly $190,000 annually in recent years, and its owner, New Mexico Highlands University, would rather invest such monies in academics.  

     Duly Noted – To generate funding for their continued operations, the British armed forces (146,500 active personnel) are being pressured to sell at least a few of their 19 golf courses. If you’re wondering, the National Golf Foundation reports that the branches of the U.S. military (1,359,450 active personnel) own 124 golf courses in 39 states, two territories, and seven foreign countries. . . . Peter Harradine, a third-generation architect with offices in Switzerland and Dubai, thinks that golf venues in the United Arab Emirates are missing an important market opportunity. “Golf is in a good shape here,” he advised in an interview with Sport Industry Insider, “but they really need to reduce the green fees to make it more affordable. Green fees are crazy at the moment.” Needless to say, Harradine has long advocated for making golf more accessible. . . . Greg “the Living Brand” Norman has become a pitchman for Garmin International, a company that manufactures range-finders, watches, and other golf products. Although the Great & Powerful LB declares that Garmin’s technology has “truly helped me improve my game,” he’s previously admitted that he plays only five or six rounds a year.

     Are you wondering how much of a week’s golf news I cover in this blog? The answer, unfortunately, is just a fraction of what passes my way. The golf business, particularly the development side of the golf business, has unquestionably perked up over the past year or two, and there’s no way for me to address all of it. So if your business requires a more comprehensive news digest – a weekly compendium of stories collected from newspapers, magazines, and other sources – contact me via e-mail at golfcoursereport@aol.com. I’ll send you a sample issue of either U.S. or International Construction Clips, depending on your needs.