The 95-year-old club has endured natural disasters and a decline in interest in the sport, but is making an effort to appeal to younger golfers with junior programming, and plans for a nine-hole, par-3 course are in the works.
Platteville (Wis.) Golf and Country Club has lasted for 95 years, making it one of the oldest courses in Wisconsin, and is looking to the future with a concentrated effort to appeal to younger golfers and plans to build a nine-hole, par-3 course, the Dubuque, Iowa BizTimes reported.
The club has endured tornadoes, wind storms, a recession and a decline in interest in the sport. However, the course has grown and so has the public it serves, the BizTimes reported.
Platteville Country Club opened in 1921 as a nine-hole course. The club rented the property for the first 25 years, then bought the land in 1956, when it officially became the Platteville Golf and Country Club. In 1984, the course was expanded to 12 holes. In 1987, when using land recently purchased, it increased to 18 holes and added a driving range, the BizTimes reported.
“We are a member equity,” Matt Bohlken, head golf professional, said. “To be a full member you have to buy a share of stock, which is now $550, and then you get a vote. We’re run by a board of directors that have three-year terms. We have about 160 members and have an annual meeting once a year in October. Throughout the year the board acts on various things that they then vote on at the end of the year.”
While the course primarily was for members only, residents of Platteville were allowed to play golf three times a year. Three years ago, however, they decided to open to the public, the BizTimes reported.
The course has had some unplanned alterations during the last few years, thanks to Mother Nature. In 2014, a tornado severely damaged the course and 85 trees were uprooted, the BizTimes reported.
“We have replanted 100 trees to replace them,” Bohlken said. “Luckily none of the trees hit any tee boxes. We had a ton of volunteers from both the members and the community who came in and helped us. They helped us to clean up and we were only closed a week.”
In 2015, a wind storm damaged one of the buildings and uprooted 12 more trees. But more damaging to the country club was the decline in interest in golf, the BizTimes reported.
“We’ve been flat over the last few years, but in this industry, flat is the new up,” Bohlken said. “We are growing slowly. In the industry we are closing more courses than we’re opening. In the Tiger Woods boom there were more golfers and courses, but now that Tiger’s gone away and the economy has gone down we are seeing fewer golfers and courses.”
Trees were trimmed. Before, golfers would lose balls; now they can play from where they lie. Last year, the club examined the original green designs and decided to expand not only the greens, but also the fringe. Tee boxes have been added, including gold boxes for older players. The objective of most of the work was to make the course more player friendly. A golfer can complete the full course in about three hours depending on his or her ability, the BizTimes reported.
“The course is challenging, but fun to play,” said Bohlken. “It’s not long, only 6,000 yards so, if you hit it long you can drive a lot of the greens. When you get to the greens they’re small and fast. That’s where you get out of position really quick. They’re not very level. Lot of back to front. When the original greens were built, they had no irrigation, so they’re sloped so that the water can drain off.”
The decision to open the course to the public also was done to help the club. It opened the bar to the public, as well, to generate more revenue, the BizTimes reported.
“We’re really pushing for the public,” said Steve Udelhofen, bar manager. “Not just for the course, but for the bar, as well. We’re really going after the bar and grill public. People in town still think they can’t come out and eat here. It’s been a private club for so long we have to change that mindset.
“I think you’ll see a lot more clubs go this route of opening it up to the public. This has helped to keep the costs down for our season passes.”
They’ve also made a concentrated effort to go after younger golfers. “We have a college program to get UW-P students more involved,” Bohlken said. “We partnered with the city of Platteville to have a junior members program. We’ve seen the junior program, which is kindergarten to high school, go from 80 kids to 110. The younger groups have really increased and is promising. Unfortunately, with Platteville not having a lot of jobs in the area, these golfers will eventually move away when they graduate. We get them trained to golf elsewhere.”
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