The City of Lexington operates five public golf courses. In order to add revenue to keep each facility open, footgolf—the recreational activity that combines soccer and golf—has been introduced at Meadowbrook Golf Course, which joins a similar layout at Gay Brewer-Picadome Golf Course.
Prescription for Expanding Los Angeles County Courses Includes Yoga, Zumba and Frisbee
A report compiled after county supervisors questioned a proposed $7.5 million upgrade to the Lakewood (Calif.) CC course recommended opening up some of the county’s 18 facilities to include a wider range of activities. “This is big open space, and I think there’s less and less people who are actually taking the time to spend the day golfing,” one supervisor said in assessing the usage and profit picture of the country’s largest golf system of its kind.
Hunt Valley CC Opens Three-in-One Golf Course
The Ridge 9 at the Phoenix, Md., property offers nine holes of traditional golf along with 18 holes of disc golf and footgolf. The changes to the layout are part of a $2.5 million revitalization of the entire property. Hunt Valley Country Club in Phoenix, Md., has opened a three-in-one golf course designed to appeal…
Oglebay Resort Launches Night Golf and FootGolf
As summer activities, the Wheeling, W. Va. property will be illuminating its Par-3 course after sunset on Fridays and Saturdays, and offering FootGolf every day. “Playing golf under the stars is a pretty magical experience,” said Danny Ackerman, the resort’s General Manager of Golf Operations.
Wigwam GC Offers FootGolf Program, Course
The Litchfield Park, Ariz., property has unveiled a new FootGolf program on its Patriot Course, with players invited to enjoy 18 holes every day after 2:30 p.m. for $15 each. The resort property is the first in the state of Arizona to offer FootGolf.
New Courses of Action
Golf course properties are introducing the game to new players through initiatives such as FootGolf and other variations that have little effect on course conditions and upkeep.
FootGolf Popularity Plateaus in Sacramento, Calif.
The city saw a decline in FootGolf rounds in 2015, and one course recently closed at Cherry Island Golf Course in Elverta. Operator Empire Golf said the FootGolf course wasn’t worth the negativity from traditional golfers and didn’t achieve the crossover it hoped for, while Haggin Oaks Head Pro Mike Woods speculated that the decline in rounds is due to increased competition rather than a lack of participation.
New Courses of Action
There certainly has been clear recognition of the need to see the club world through a much broader viewfinder, even as golf remains a core activity for many properties.
American FootGolf League Cites Strong Growth of Game on Fourth Anniversary
Founded on November 18, 2011, the organization says the activity level at its nearly 500 certified and accredited courses will approach one million rounds played in 2015 and generate a total of between $15 million and $20 million in new revenue for those facilities.
Sydney R. Marovitz GC to Host First U.S. FootGolf National Championship
The Chicago golf course will host more than 100 FootGolf players in the 36-hole tournament on October 3. The stroke-play tournament is a qualifier for the FootGolf World Cup to be played at Pilar Golf Club in Argentina on January 6-10, 2016.
Forbes GC Bounces Back with Public Support
The Topeka, Kan., golf course was on the brink of closure two years ago, but public outcry prompted commissioners to look at ways to operate more cost-effectively. By reducing staffing and adding footgolf to its offerings, the golf course is now on solid financial footing.
First National Footgolf Conference to be Held October 2
The United States Footgolf Association is partnering with the First Tee of Fort Worth, Ben Hogan Learning Center and Rockwood Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas for the event, which will include footgolf development and implementation, as well as Q&A, discussions, clinics and demonstrations.
Illinois Golf Courses Aim to Appeal to Millennials
A report by Crain’s Detroit Business details methods golf courses use to get millennials on the green, from allowing music to be played from golf carts to shortening courses and creating social media-based incentives.
Delcastle GC, Bent Creek GC Extend Lease Agreements with Billy Casper Golf
Officials for the properties in New Castle (Del.) County and Jacksonville, Fla. said they have become a “hot spot” and “the municipal course of choice” under the management firm’s direction.
Fond du Lac, Wis., Courses Invest in FootGolf
Rolling Meadows GC is adding nine holes to its FootGolf course this week after the first nine were installed in October, while Thornbrook GC’s FootGolf layout is projected to reopen in June. Rolling Meadows course manager David Brandenburg said adding the sport has made the course more family-friendly.