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Golf is in some serious trouble.
The economy is battering the sport.
A story today in the USA Today says that numerous golf courses around the country are closing and places like Myrtle Beach, S.C., once known for its more than 100 courses has closed a few dozen in recent years.
The reason? Expense and time.
A few stats from the USA Today story.
• The number of golfers in the United States dropped 3 percent from 2007 to 2008 and dropped nearly 5 percent for those who are "core" players.
• In the early 90s the number of golfers who belonged to private clubs was around 3 million. Today it sits around 2 million.
• Sales at clubs are down about 3 percent, matching the percentage drop of actual golfers, noted above.
Since most GateHouse Media markets have golf courses this is an easy local story to do. Here are some ideas:
• Are there any golf courses in your area that have closed this year or last? What about your region? Check in with county officials for figures.
• What's business like at local courses? Call around to folks to see if public and private courses are seeing a drop in business? Are more just going to the driving range or playing 9 holes instead of 18 to save a few bucks? What about the number of folks who belong to private clubs, have they dropped recently?
• What are private clubs doing to stay in business? Are they going after a different clientele today and what kind of deals seem to be working?
• Is the idea of golf being a business outing old news because of cost? What does the local chamber of commerce head think? What about an economic professor for commentary?
• Is golf just not family friendly enough? If you have a decent fitness facility in your community go talk to folks on what they like about the facility and if that kind of facility is necessary for golf courses to survive, that it has to be about more than a golf shop, some holes and a deli shop.
Golf is in some serious trouble.
The economy is battering the sport.
A story today in the USA Today says that numerous golf courses around the country are closing and places like Myrtle Beach, S.C., once known for its more than 100 courses has closed a few dozen in recent years.
The reason? Expense and time.
A few stats from the USA Today story.
• The number of golfers in the United States dropped 3 percent from 2007 to 2008 and dropped nearly 5 percent for those who are "core" players.
• In the early 90s the number of golfers who belonged to private clubs was around 3 million. Today it sits around 2 million.
• Sales at clubs are down about 3 percent, matching the percentage drop of actual golfers, noted above.
Since most GateHouse Media markets have golf courses this is an easy local story to do. Here are some ideas:
• Are there any golf courses in your area that have closed this year or last? What about your region? Check in with county officials for figures.
• What's business like at local courses? Call around to folks to see if public and private courses are seeing a drop in business? Are more just going to the driving range or playing 9 holes instead of 18 to save a few bucks? What about the number of folks who belong to private clubs, have they dropped recently?
• What are private clubs doing to stay in business? Are they going after a different clientele today and what kind of deals seem to be working?
• Is the idea of golf being a business outing old news because of cost? What does the local chamber of commerce head think? What about an economic professor for commentary?
• Is golf just not family friendly enough? If you have a decent fitness facility in your community go talk to folks on what they like about the facility and if that kind of facility is necessary for golf courses to survive, that it has to be about more than a golf shop, some holes and a deli shop.
