Muni golf success in 2020

Templet0n

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Albatross 2024 Club
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I heard some stats today regarding public golf. Specifically muni golf in 2020. They blew my mind..

Now first consider that ever state for at least some point of time was closed last year.

Now look at these.

Out of over 300 superintendents polled

Almost 65% of showed a profit.
Almost 90% at least broke even.

Consider those while at the same time food and beverage sales where almost nonexistent and many cancelled large group outings and tournaments.

Every course had there highest rounds played by double digits.

One course side it was the highest they had seen since the tiger era

Another course said it was the highest they had seen since the 80s.

Every course is expecting 2021 to continue in this trend.

I think this is fantastic!!! Let’s keep this going. Please USGA. Take a look at this. Then take a look at the previous 15 years where the game shrunk and shrunk and shrunk. Here in my area in the last 10 years four courses have closed..

Please USGA, let’s take these new golfers and welcome them and embrace them. Let get new courses being built to supply the demand. The game is at an amazing tipping point that can go either way!!
 
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Our course (muni quality, but privately owned) has offered a $400 associate membership for the last 3 years. The membership includes play anytime but before noon Saturday and Sunday. This year they upped it to $500 and dropped weekends completely off the privilege. I still paid for it because I live on the course, but if the amount of emails I am getting reminding people to come in and re-up is any indication they sold much less memberships. I just don't understand why golf courses can't leave a good thing alone. Take your money and be happy. Don't charge everyone more the following year and get greedy. Especially when you're not doing anything to the course to make it better (fixing drainage, improving bunkers, removing dead trees, etc)
 
I have 3 courses here within 5 minutes. 1 course in city limits, 1 course not in city limits and 1 country club. The 1 course in city limits was shut down for awhile. The 1 course not in city limits was open thee entire time and ran specials and they were jam packed (course is actually for sale now 1.3 million). The country club I don’t know about.
 
I don't think any of the courses around here shut down, even for a day. Events were cancelled and/or postponed and they likely lost some revenue when there were indoor dining restrictions. But would've recouped that and more given how much additional play and pro shop merch sales they experienced.
 
I am a member at a municipal course that was closed (2020) for a month and then was walking only for three weeks. By the beginning of May the tee sheet was full for the rest of the year. They are planning for the same kind of business this year.
 
I don't think any of the courses around here shut down, even for a day. Events were cancelled and/or postponed and they likely lost some revenue when there were indoor dining restrictions. But would've recouped that and more given how much additional play and pro shop merch sales they experienced.

That’s awesome!! I figured at some point everyone’s golf was closed.
 
Our muni made record profits last year. The problem for a 9 hole course is that it stays packed and play becomes really slow. Hopefully this year they will make some changes and start using a tee sheet instead of just walking on.
 
Not sure how other courses handled the closures, but our home courses raised all their prices across the board. Green fees, cart fees, food, and beverage fees.

These were modest fee increases, and still easily affordable for the locals.

With the fee increases, and a larger group of golfers with more time on their hand to golf, the courses were able to make up for lost revenue and then some.

Along with the fee increases, the courses decided to give a free basket (40 balls) of range balls with each paid green fee. They also allowed golfers to bring in their own foods, an beverages. They even used some of the extra money to spruce up the course a little.

I know in our case, we stopped eating out. We stopped making unnecessary trips to stores, and decided to stick closer to home more than we normally do. This gave me extra time/money to practice, and play.

Looking back, (and forward) a golf course was/is a pretty safe place to be.
 
Our course (muni quality, but privately owned) has offered a $400 associate membership for the last 3 years. The membership includes play anytime but before noon Saturday and Sunday. This year they upped it to $500 and dropped weekends completely off the privilege. I still paid for it because I live on the course, but if the amount of emails I am getting reminding people to come in and re-up is any indication they sold much less memberships. I just don't understand why golf courses can't leave a good thing alone. Take your money and be happy. Don't charge everyone more the following year and get greedy. Especially when you're not doing anything to the course to make it better (fixing drainage, improving bunkers, removing dead trees, etc)

we have courses that have raised prices...but only one of them is making improvements to the course and it's facilities.
 
That’s awesome!! I figured at some point everyone’s golf was closed.
Our courses never closed down either. They did all the 'rona things (no rakes in the bunkers, cups inverted/no pulling the flagstick, no sand bottles, etc.), but stayed open the entire time. Fortunately, none of the local courses raised their rates either - it was the usual low summer rates, going back up to prime time rates around October.
 
That’s awesome!! I figured at some point everyone’s golf was closed.
My club never closed the course but did close F&B for about a month and then another month or so of takeout only. They closed the outdoor grill at the start and moved the proshop out there to "keep the building closed" but never reopened the grill. Made no sense to me as they actually do a lot of food sales out there and people could have been outside vs. inside and thus safer. It still hasn't opened and I don't think it will.:facepalm:
 
I'm wondering. Were those rounds listed as actually being played, or did they just use the tee sheets. As courses required advanced tee times, many people got in, grabbed a 4 spot for whatever day, then didn't show up because of one reason or another. People were panic booking.
I'm basing that on my small sample of experience with 2 local Muni courses. Because I couldn't just "walk up", I would call from parking lot and check with desk or starter if there was an opening. Usually could get out when whole 4's never showed and he could work in singles doing the same thing. I mentioned it to at least 2 starters and he noticed it right away. Sheet would be full but lots of no shows if it was too hot, or too cold, or too wet, or whatever.
 
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