OK, the blog is going to wander a little with this entry. Maybe for good, let's try it out and see what happens.
Someone brought to my attention this week that the general public and private club members have no idea what goes on behind the scenes to provide the conditions in which they play their favorite sport every day. It got me thinking that the media and your ownership might be more open and honest about all this. It is a HUGE expense, particularly if you expect Augusta National standards, and let's face it, most of you expect perfect conditions.
Newsflash! You don't play Augusta National and your club will never be Augusta National. Your course in all likelihood will never host any tour event so why do you think your course needs to be kept at tour conditions? Have you any idea what the cost to do so really is? In my area the average annual maintenance cost per hole for a private club is in the neighborhood of $70,000. And you wonder why your dues keep going up? Well, it's more likely the food and beverage component but that's fodder for another blog.
Truth is folks, and I know how hard it is to admit.......you are NOT touring pros. You play the same game but that is where the comparison stops. In the same way that I don't profess to know as much about medicine as a surgeon, you should not profess that you know what it is to be a touring golf professional. Nor should you profess to know anything about maintaining a golf course, because you don't. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain that the cold air will speed up greens because the grass "tightens" up and the facial reaction is one of "you're out of your !#&$^@ mind."
The guys naturally think the greens are best when they are running 11 on the Stimpmeter yet they can't handle them. Nope, you can't. La, la, la, la, la (plugging my ears), you can't handle them. I AM a golf professional and greens rolling 11 are super fast and on the downward slope of fun, whether it's a casual round or a competitive round. Remember too folks, that not everyone is as good as you. Unless you are some sort of prodigy then we were all beginners at some point. Keep in mind that if conditions aren't welcoming to beginners (of all ages) that you turn more people away from our game than bring in. Do the math. Someone is going to pay the price for the downward spiral of demand. We are already seeing it. Maybe your course will be the next to close.
It's reality time folks. Some clubs will continue to pour a lot into their maintenance budgets because, well, they can. Good for them. More power to them. For others, it's time that we accept reality rather than try to rationalize around the truth. Truth is we've glorified this game for a small portion (and that is fine) at the expense (literally) of the masses.
What's on your mind? Let everyone know!
About Me
- DingPGA
- I am a PGA Member Professional and I have been in this area for over seventeen years, the last twelve as a Bonita Springs resident. I pride myself on being a leader rather than a follower. I am passionate about the golf industry and always want others to enjoy the game that I love so much. It's time we introduce this game to more and maintain it for those who have played it for a lifetime.
3 comments:
I concur. Augusta I'm sure is only playable for 4 months out of a year as well. Maybe if you land that 7 day coverage with Cadillac and Travellers sponsoring you too can have carpeted fairways. To me the money is still best spent at the muni. I grew up with $2 greens fees and was allowed to learn the game. To me two movies run 4-5 hours. The price for a round should not exceed 2 tickets to the movies when you are trying to learn the game. Sure, I'll pay big bucks on occasion as a treat or vacation. But what I'm paying for there is the time in the park and the joy of not seeing anyone playing in front of or behind me. Still, you don't get to that course without first learning the game. Are we promoting the game or just inflating our ego and surrounding ourselves with our favored friends. The game needs affordability or it will not be sustainable. One last thing...let nature define courses for a change. Give me #8 at Pebble Beach over any hole in all of Florida.
I like where your blog is going here. I'm a turf manager and proponent of the game. We need more voices out in the golf world to talk about affordability and sustainability, as well as growing the game for the future. The average golfer plays golf on an 'old' golf course when greens were cut at .25" and designed/contoured for speeds around 7,8, maybe 9. How fun is the game when you attempt a 30 yard pitch, from a tight lie, to a green cut at .100" and running 11 while you watch your ball scream off the back! Sure they can brag that their greens are fast, but the fact of the matter is they don't have the skill to pull the shot off. Let the high end courses maintain TV golf standards. For the rest of us beginners, enthusiasts, and fun seekers, let's take expectations down and enjoy reduced greens fees, smooth but slower greens, longer fairways and shorter roughs. Heck, I want to see some brown(not dead) grass out there.
Fertilizer must be getting more expensive with the price of oil. Wouldn't it be more 'green' to use less chemicals? Don't people enjoy the charm of the rougher au naturale old links courses? Didn't Ben Crenshaw design a low impact course in Nebraska?
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