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Is the a “Big Quit” looming?

Posted on 8/3/24 at 5:34 pm
Posted by makersmark1
earth
Member since Oct 2011
18574 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 5:34 pm
I’ve lived through some surge demand in rounds played before.

When John Daly gripped it and ripped it.
When Tiger made golf cool and became a living legend.

But Covid fundamentally changed golf. It feels like now it is the go to activity for almost all ages. Players are playing more rounds than ever. More people are giving golf a serious try than ever.

I thought after 2021 things would settle down, but tee sheets are loaded from morning to night. I thought the other sports would offload some rounds, but from what I’ve seen people are golfing as much or more than when Covid restrictions were at full blast. I guess many were able to continue to “work from home” while still getting 18 holes in several times a week. Many probably retired IF they could.

I wish I had bought a golf course in 2019.

Will this golf expansion cycle down with the economy?
Will the aging population tire out of playing golf?
Will many new players give up or grow bored with the game and give it up?
Or will golf continue to boom?
Posted by bopper50
Sugarland Texas
Member since Mar 2009
9818 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 5:57 pm to
Just my opinion, not based on hearsay.

* I believe we will continue to see mid level country club memberships decline because of a aging population and especially if we hit a recession.

* I think we may see a short boom in boutique course featuring 9 holes and a amenities filled clubhouse/ restaurant/ bar scene.

LINK /

Land has become far too expensive around most urban areas.

* I believe we will see more municipalities having to sustain certain golf courses to keep property values up like Pecan Grove CC in the Houston area.

* it will take a lot of forward thinking people to continue to grow the game because of costs. The Tour and LIV have to compromise fir the good of the game.
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 5:59 pm
Posted by makersmark1
earth
Member since Oct 2011
18574 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 6:07 pm to
All the “new” courses I hear about around here (Augusta) seem to be very high end.

The Tree Farm.
The Club at Barnwell

Rumor of a 36 hole Tom Watson development with a shooting club co-located just over the river in South Carolina.

Things are packed near Augusta. West Lake has more members than ever. The River Club went private. Bartrum Trail is a 5 hour plus round most days.

Maybe some of the pressure is bc Forest Hills had to resprig their greens and the course is currently closed.

I just can’t believe how sustainable the Covid golf boom has been.
Posted by LSUHeights
Member since Jan 2010
534 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 6:13 pm to
I'd say almost all the golfers I have been paired up with in the past couple years, who are obviously improving newish golfers tell me this some point in the round "Yeah man, I started playing during COVID, now I'm hooked."
This post was edited on 8/4/24 at 6:16 am
Posted by bopper50
Sugarland Texas
Member since Mar 2009
9818 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 6:33 pm to
quote:

All the “new” courses I hear about around here (Augusta) seem to be very high end.



Right.

There will always be the high end consumer where money is less of an issue.

I just don't see the younger players joing the older clubs in my area. They want options and variety which is not a bad thing.
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 6:38 pm
Posted by bopper50
Sugarland Texas
Member since Mar 2009
9818 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 6:37 pm to
I still see a lot of room for growth of the game.

And who knows, the next Tiger may be coming up.

There will be challenges in golfs future like available water and other maintenance costs.

I look at my home course that has a lot of sand bunkers. It's almost impossible for the crew to keep every bunker maintained with the changing weather.

Probably a third of them should become grass bunkers.
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 7:24 pm
Posted by Swagga
504
Member since Dec 2009
17470 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 7:32 pm to
quote:

I look at my home course that has a lot of sand bunkers. It's almost impossible for the crew to keep every bunker maintained with the changing weather. Probably a third of them should become grass bunkers.



I’d like to see a lot more muni courses embrace this. Spend their resources on tee boxes, fairways, and greens. Bunkers are a pain to maintain and when they’re sloppy make a course look terrible. Not to mention grass bunkers will probably help improve pace of play.
Posted by makersmark1
earth
Member since Oct 2011
18574 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 7:57 pm to
quote:

s. Bunkers are a pain to maintain and when they’re sloppy make a course look terrible.


I’ve heard to properly maintain a bunker it is about 10K per bunker per year.

We have 45 bunkers. Let’s say it’s only 2k per year. That’s still 90k just to maintain bunkers.

Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
19301 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 8:54 pm to
I dunno, I’m certainly seeing a lot of players at Capital hill, on a weekend probably 500 players a day, at least 300 on each weekday.

So 10,000ish rounds a month. Even if everyone uses a trail card that’s at least 600k a month.

It takes a lot of expenses to eat up 7 million a year in revenue.
Posted by BonesMalone
Member since May 2019
266 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 9:16 pm to
“ I think we may see a short boom in boutique course featuring 9 holes and a amenities filled clubhouse/ restaurant/ bar scene.”

9 holes is really an easier way to go.
Just a lot of spread out tee areas where a par 5 can play down to a par 3. Kind of like a choose your own hole with big double greens and multiple pins. It’s still less land to maintain.
Many different variations of one course and still a quick 9.
Posted by JohnnyKilroy
Cajun Navy Vice Admiral
Member since Oct 2012
38749 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 9:34 pm to
quote:

on a weekend probably 500 players a day


So they have a full foursome going out every 8 minutes for nearly 16 hours and 40 minutes?
Posted by BigApple
Member since Jun 2022
889 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 9:36 pm to


I was thinking the same thing. Most places average 30k rounds a year. That place ain’t doing 120k
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 9:50 pm
Posted by JohnnyKilroy
Cajun Navy Vice Admiral
Member since Oct 2012
38749 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 9:54 pm to
Looking now I see Capital Hill has 3 courses, so yea I guess 500 could run through 3 courses.


But that also changes the expense calculus maintaining 3 courses at a high level.
Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
19301 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 11:07 pm to
quote:

Looking now I see Capital Hill has 3 courses, so yea I guess 500 could run through 3 courses.
They can and do. I live 3 minutes from the course and I don’t go to the range to hit balls on the weekend. Can’t find a parking space

Edit-looked on the overhead, has 250 or so parking spaces in the main lot.
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 11:25 pm
Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
19301 posts
Posted on 8/3/24 at 11:55 pm to
quote:

So they have a full foursome going out every 8 minutes for nearly 16 hours and 40 minutes?


3 courses
Every 10 minutes on all 3 for 7 hours.

I didn’t even count the twilight or super twilight times.
Posted by bopper50
Sugarland Texas
Member since Mar 2009
9818 posts
Posted on 8/4/24 at 8:16 am to
quote:

takes a lot of expenses to eat up 7 million a year in revenue.


It goes fast that you think.

When I was on the board of a small country club , our budget seemed to be blown up every year.

Freezes, droughts, fertilizer costs, something always breaking down from mowers to A/C units to dishwashers, water leaks, sprinkler issues, sand replacement, fungus, etc..

Then you have salaries, food costs, shrinkage, daily operational costs, fuel, employee retention issues and on and on.

I remember one year , we spent over 25k just on feral hogs damage and removal.


Capital Hill has 1500 acres of golf plus 400 yars of driving range to maintain.
This post was edited on 8/4/24 at 8:36 am
Posted by jmtigers
1826.71 miles from USC
Member since Sep 2003
4984 posts
Posted on 8/4/24 at 8:54 am to
I’ve always been told that the trail simply breaks even on the golf. They make their money on the hotels, etc.

They did close the par 3 course in Greenville.
Posted by Strannix
President Trump's America
Member since Dec 2012
51327 posts
Posted on 8/4/24 at 7:11 pm to
quote:

wish I had bought a golf course in 2019.


Said no one ever in North Louisiana
Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
19301 posts
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:52 pm to
quote:

They did close the par 3 course in Greenville.
Greenville is the only one I’d be fairly sure isn’t making money.

I’ve played almost all of them, that’s the only one I’ve played didn’t have a lot of people on it last time I was there
Posted by llfshoals
Member since Nov 2010
19301 posts
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:57 pm to
quote:

Capital Hill has 1500 acres of golf plus 400 yars of driving range to maintain.
One of the funny things about that, is how efficient they are about mowing, which is one of the big time killers. I haven’t once had to wait while a mower is doing something, and I play early frequently.

I wouldn’t be surprised if their cost per hole is actually lower than most courses given the ability to maximize employee hours in that regard.
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