Dartmouth Drops Golf Program, Closes Course.

[GraniteRoost]

Well, I was afraid this would happen. Dartmouth has permenently closed Hanover Country Club citing operating losses, and canceled the mens and womens golf teams along with mens and womens swimming and diving, and mens lightweight crew. Thanks COVID. Hanover Country Club, while unusual in layout, was one of those intangible assets of Dartmouth, beautiful green space just adjacent to campus that is also used by runners, skiers, etc. The land is more valuable for campus expansion, and even an enormous multi-billion dollar Ivy league endowment won't save golf at Dartmouth

Dartmouth Cuts Five Sports to Ease Covid-Fueled Deficit

Dartmouth College is eliminating five varsity athletic teams and 15 staff positions, including eight coaches, to help ease a budget deficit made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.The Ivy League school is dropping men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s lightweight...

www.bloomberg.com

 

[smgoldstein]

Shame. My niece played varsity golf there a few years ago.

 

[McLovin]

have these sports ever been profitable for Dartmouth? I wonder whether covid is the excuse that some institutions have been waiting for to get rid of loss churning sports programs.

 

[GraniteRoost]

have these sports ever been profitable for Dartmouth? I wonder whether covid is the excuse that some institutions have been waiting for to get rid of loss churning sports programs.

I doubt golf or swimming and diving is profitable for any university... is there a golf team out there that generates revenue? Ticket sales to matches?

Direct answer - in particular to the golf course, no, its losing 600k-1M/year. Dartmouth spent a bunch of money to renovate, re-route, and improve the course in ~2003 or so. THey have had a working committee for the last four years reviewing course fate through a series of community forums. Alternatives were to keep open, reduce to 9 holes, or shutter entirely. They have been looking to stop losing money for several years, and the College needs more room around campus for new buildings. The golf course is the most desireable property because its directly adjacent to existing campus - the biggest expanse of "undeveloped" land available in town.

 

[campilobaxter]

have these sports ever been profitable for Dartmouth? I wonder whether covid is the excuse that some institutions have been waiting for to get rid of loss churning sports programs.

That certainly looks like what Stanford did yesterday.

 

[ntanygd760]

If you really want to be sad google Yale golf course and see the condition as they won't open this year and only had 2 guys to keep it in shape.

 

[GraniteRoost]

That certainly looks like what Stanford did yesterday.

I think we have just seen two opening salvos of a trend that will affect not only college sports, but likely HS sports as well.

One wonders how many sports equipment specific companies will go bankrupt this year...

 

[GraniteRoost]

If you really want to be sad google Yale golf course and see the condition as they won't open this year and only had 2 guys to keep it in shape.

Now that is a bummer, because Yale is a classic layout.

 

[Chef23]

have these sports ever been profitable for Dartmouth? I wonder whether covid is the excuse that some institutions have been waiting for to get rid of loss churning sports programs.

I am not sure any sport is profitable at Dartmouth. Frankly except for power conference football and basketball programs most sports lose money. There are a few hockey and baseball programs that probably break even or make a few bucks but most are money losers for the school.

 

[Chef23]

I doubt golf or swimming and diving is profitable for any university... is there a golf team out there that generates revenue? Ticket sales to matches?

Direct answer - in particular to the golf course, no, its losing 600k-1M/year. Dartmouth spent a bunch of money to renovate, re-route, and improve the course in ~2003 or so. THey have had a working committee for the last four years reviewing course fate through a series of community forums. Alternatives were to keep open, reduce to 9 holes, or shutter entirely. They have been looking to stop losing money for several years, and the College needs more room around campus for new buildings. The golf course is the most desireable property because its directly adjacent to existing campus - the biggest expanse of "undeveloped" land available in town.

I would say the location and short season hurt the course's ability to be profitable. Hanover NH isn't exactly a large population center or golf destination.

Yale is in New Haven and while not the most beautiful city there are a lot of people around so it their golf course should be able to be profitable if they want it to. The current condition is more due to restrictions the school put on having people work on it. Other courses in CT were open through most of the quarantine.

 

[GraniteRoost]

I would say the location and short season hurt the course's ability to be profitable. Hanover NH isn't exactly a large population center or golf destination.

Yale is in New Haven and while not the most beautiful city there are a lot of people around so it their golf course should be able to be profitable if they want it to. The current condition is more due to restrictions the school put on having people work on it. Other courses in CT were open through most of the quarantine.

Funny story as I look back, the last round I played there was last September and I directly followed the last group of the tournament Dartmouth was hosting, their fall invitational. Might have been the last match they ever played there. I played a couple of holes with a recruit dad from SoCal whose son was playing ahead on a recruiting visit, and the father and I discussed who in their right mind would transfer from CA to the middle of the frozen north to play on a golf scholarship.

The course is a funky layout, and to be fair most of the better golfers around here belong to one a few affordable private or public courses that are nicer. It is mostly nostalgia that makes me sad to see the course go than the actual golf experience. The layout did have a certain charm though, some very picturesque, unique, and challenging holes after the renovation.

When I was in grad school, my team won the tournament amongst all of the grad schools on homecoming weekend. This was before renovation. We were even through 8 holes, said F- this and bought a 30-pack at the gas station across the street from the 9th tee (and Hanover Police Station ) and proceeded to both get blasted and go on a birdie barrage, I recall like 7 under on the back (scramble). Two of our foursome were Swedish exchange students and we all became great friends that year... one of them could really play well. What good times.

 

[smgoldstein]

have these sports ever been profitable for Dartmouth? I wonder whether covid is the excuse that some institutions have been waiting for to get rid of loss churning sports programs.

What I have heard is that the Dartmouth administration has been eyeing that land for years to expand campus facilities. And now they have an excuse so the course will eventually be turned into new dorms, labs, classrooms, etc.

 

[shanewu]

that's a bummer

 

[GraniteRoost]

Home > Course > https://golf.dartmouth.edu/course/history.html
History

"The links is admired by everybody who plays upon it, affording a variety of hazards, sufficiently irregular ground to make progress fascinating, and an elevation which gives a bracing air and charming scenery."
-- The Boston Sunday Herald, September 3, 1899

The Hanover Country Club, Dartmouth College's oldest existing recreational and athletic facility, continues to fit the description of 1899. At the time, HCC was a mere 9 hole course measuring a total distance of 2100 yards with its longest hole being 318 yards. Through a series of generous gifts from Henry H. Hilton, class of 1890, additional land was purchased in the early 1900's on the east side of the Vale of Tempe (more commonly known today as "The Gully") allowing the expansion of the course to 18 holes in 1922. Orrin Smith, a former construction superintendent for both Donald Ross and Willie Park, Jr., is credited with the design of the original 18 hole course.

Golf increased in popularity to the point where the 18 hole course experienced overcrowding and necessitated the construction of a new 9 hole course on the east side of Lyme Road. The "new nine" was designed by Dartmouth graduate Ralph Barton, class of 1904. Mr. Barton left a position at the University of Minnesota in 1921 to apprentice under renowned golf architect, C.B. Macdonald, and his chief engineer, Seth Raynor. Four holes of this 9 hole course still remain and are used by students, HCC members, and Dartmouth golf teams to hone their games. It is considered one of the premiere practice facilities in the northeast. Mr. Barton generously donated his design work to the College.

With only minor modifications to the original 18 holes over the next 70 years, it soon became evident that a significant renovation was needed to prepare the course for the "modern" game of golf. In 1995, Robert Keeler '36, donated a computerized irrigation system, and in 2000, again with a significant gift from Mr. Keeler, the College embarked on a major renovation of the course. Mr. Ron Prichard, golf architect, known especially for his restoration of Donald Ross courses, was given the task of modernizing a course which had turned 100 years old the prior year. Mr. Prichard's design of four new holes and all new tees and greens has resulted in a longer, safer, and more challenging course while remaining inviting to golfers of all abilities. Most importantly, Hanover Country Club has maintained the personality that endears it to those who love the game.

 

[M2Giles]

Brown University did something similar with cancelling a number of sports as well.

I feel bad for all of the recruited athletes.

 

[redneckwop]

That sucks.

 

[Bernoulli]

I think we have just seen two opening salvos of a trend that will affect not only college sports, but likely HS sports as well.

One wonders how many sports equipment specific companies will go bankrupt this year...

I agree with you. Sports at the high school and college level are going to be affected profoundly by this pandemic. We don’t need to get into the economics. And for the Colleges and Universities, despite many having substantial endowments, that money is primarily for educational and not athletic purposes.