re: The Bluffs made Me Sad Today

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Is the state of affairs of Louisiana golf really this bad?

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I used to get hammered on this board for stating this was happening in Louisiana.

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I can play a course this weekend in the afternoon as nice as Carter when it's in good shape for less than $50.

I can play courses much nicer than anything in the BR area this week in the afternoon for less than $40

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Are you really comparing Dallas, TX to Baton Rouge, LA

Carter is a really nice course for our area. I don't have any experience to compare it to in Dallas but I played one course comparable to Carter called Trophy Club and it was way more expensive than Carter.

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Are you really comparing Dallas, TX to Baton Rouge, LA

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Yes, to point out the weather, land, and economics don't make sense for public golf in BR.

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In Alabama the RTJ Trail is funded in large part by the Retirement Systems of Alabama...which gets mucho state tax dollars.

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LINK

Interesting article on RTJ if you are into the business of golf. RTJ might turn a profit, they are all really nice courses though.

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Similar weather and topography to Florida

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It’s not golfers or the money, really. It’s the management. If a place is out to make money, you’re already gonna lose. It’s not how the game is played.
Let’s take BRCC. 1200 members. Maybe 200 of those members actually play golf. Everybody else is there for the scene. And everybody pays the same. Golf is just another amenity. That’s what private golf is. Many can’t afford it, but that’s what every club aspires to be. But the clubs these days has the course driving the place and that’s where they fail.

Now let’s take Santa Maria.
Meant to be private (development) and went belly up. Sold for a song to BREC. Beautiful layout. Bunkers have always sucked and the greens are decent, but usually have some challenge. Why? Because every penny is trying to be squeezed when it doesn’t have to be. Money is already coming in through taxes. It’s a good location. Push play back. Spread play out. Raise rates. Manage the damn place! You’ve got the money, make some time. Golf shouldn’t be a please everyone business. Make it hard to get on. Make it a great experience. It only takes nuts to do it.

I’ve posted this before, but the Bluffs can do the same thing. You can’t say it’s the location, because that’s where the beauty is! It’s flat as shite outside the Feliciana’s. Make it a parish (or 2 parish course) Decide what you can and can’t do with the money and that’s who you are: a beautiful layout in the sticks with good, decent greens, clean and cut and probably minimal to no bunkers. Just eliminate them and let a small flow of golfers enjoy it with money coming in from residents.

Columbia has two cheaper municipal courses, AL Gustin which is ran by the University (much nicer and well kept than LSU and priced around $49 max to the public with a cart on weekend mornings) three cc’s, and another public course 15 minutes from town that is really good. In all the Columbia area has 8 courses within 20 minutes of downtown and another 3 if you include Jefferson City which is 30 minutes. The municipal courses and Gustin haven’t done anything to upend golf. They’re cheap to play and in decent shape. How is the weather in Louisiana not similar? Both humid, both have lots of rain.

Baton Rouge has six muni’s between LSU and BREC. 7 if you include Denham.

Within BR Area:
BRCC
CCL
Santa Maria - Muni
Webb - Muni
LSU - Muni
CP - Muni
Clark - Muni
Beaver Creek - Muni
Copper Mill
Fennwood
Pelican Point
Pines at Denham - Muni
Greystone
Carter Plantation
Bluffs
Island
False River CC
U Club

That’s 18 courses in Greater BR area all supplying Tee Times.

ETA: a lot of variables that are hard to account for. Population, Demographics (average income), weather, etc when comparing the two areas.