Quote of the Month
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. —Thomas Jefferson |
It still holds true that winners still find ways to continue winning.
Maybe you saw the article on “Why We Need More Par-Three Courses” in the sports section of the 7/24/10 Wall Street Journal (I love the fact that on the weekend, the WSJ now devotes at least one page to sports). It was a pretty interesting piece on how and why short courses may be coming back into vogue—despite the fact that, according to the National Golf Foundation, while par-three layouts currently make up 9% of the nation’s courses, they accounted for 22% of the closings in 2009.
The trend is all about catering to an aging golf population and players interested in honing their games, having fun, and doing so in just an hour or two. Plus, these venues are an attractive alternative for introducing the games to kids and new players. Makes sense to me.
Some pretty smart and well-known private clubs maintain a par-three layout to complement their 18-hole treasures—think Augusta National, Pine Valley, and The Olympic Club, to name a few.
And a really smart golf guy, Mike Keiser, appears to like the idea, too. This same WSJ piece led off the story with a report that Keiser is building a fifth course at Bandon Dunes—a par-three layout. Construction on this new course is expected to begin next February.
Coincidentally, I will be on one of Bandon Dunes’ great courses while you are reading this column. It’s my fourth visit, and the par-three concept is already getting me interested in a fifth epic journey—the place ain’t easy to get to, but the golf, hospitality, and outstanding service sure make it worth the time and effort.
An OK Year
With the dog days of summer beginning their fade into the fall, it appears that the golf club and resort industry is headed for a so-so year in terms of rounds played—which will likely be flat or down slightly when we add it all up in December. Some clubs are happy to report just a slight improvement and are thankful that the slide in membership ranks and revenues has abated.
At the same time, I have seen and met with a lot of club managers who are pretty pleased with their years thus far. Many of these clubs have re-engaged their capital spending and seen growth in their membership ranks, including both brand-new members and those back from leave.
It still holds true that winners still find ways to continue winning.
Why I Like Professional Golf
I’m from Cleveland and our sports teams have been more fantasy than fun for quite some time. But we endure—only to get rewarded with the LeBron fiasco. No problem with him leaving—see you later. Big problem with how he went about it—acting like the 25-year-old kid with way too much money that he is.
Then I get to watch the British Open and see a guy I’ve never heard of win in a walk. Professional golf is the ultimate one-on-one test (you vs. the course), and these pros only make what they earn. No free agency, no holdouts or strikes, no trade demands, no whining, and no TV infomercials announcing where they will play next.
I like that.
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