Private Golf courses in big trouble?

[ercchry]

I could take or leave golf... I do like 9 holes more, and if the cart girl comes around often and I have a nice cigar or two.... annnnd the sun is out, but not too windy or hot.... it's a pretty nice way to spend a couple hours outside and more or less unplugged from everything else

Can't stand being stuck behind noobs though, nor playing with people that take the game too seriously

[Marsh]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Hamptons Golf Course is owned by Mormon church (hearsay) and they bought it with redevelopment in mind.

Definitely not. Owned by Ehlerts, same owners as Boulder Creek, SilverWing, Elbow Springs.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...730/story.html

[roll_over]

Originally posted by 88CRX
It’s a dying sport!

Its expensive ($100+) AND you have to commit 4-5 hours to play a round.

Only was a membership makes sense is if you were retired and wanted to play 50+ rounds a year at that course.

I definitely do not think it's a dying sport. Nearly every male I know between 25 and 40 golfs or has recently taken it up just to help with networking. I golf the Glencoe which is mostly older guys but I frequent shaganappi (sp?) and springbank for driving ranges and there is nothing but millenials there.

[ExtraSlow]

How many millennials do you know who have bought a membership at a private or semi-private course? How many are even seriously considering it?

How about even people under age 40, whatever generations that puts them in, same questions?

[jsn]

Originally posted by 88CRX
It’s a dying sport!

Its expensive ($100+) AND you have to commit 4-5 hours to play a round.

Only was a membership makes sense is if you were retired and wanted to play 50+ rounds a year at that course.

I'm not sure if I'd call it a dying sport yet, but this is exactly the reason I quit golf. About 10-15 years ago, I use to golf at city courses when it was around $40 a round. I don't enjoy it enough to spend $100+ for a 4 hour activity.

[austic]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
How many millennials do you know who have bought a membership at a private or semi-private course? How many are even seriously considering it?

How about even people under age 40, whatever generations that puts them in, same questions?

I have seriously considered it (30). I just dont think I golf enough to justify the annual dues.

[Type_S1]

The problem with Golf in Alberta is cost and weather. There are not enough days in the year to make owning a membership justifiable unless you want to make it your only hobby for 4-5 months (5 days a week) and if you don't have a membership you are paying $100 to play subpar golf courses. Realistically golf is for the rich so you are cutting out 80-90% of the population before you even start looking for members. Golf will always have its appeal to rich people but I find it hard to believe it will be a growing sport in Canada anytime soon.

I personally enjoy golf but refuse to spend more then $500/year on it as I enjoy my other hobbies way way way more and they are substantially cheaper. This gets me 5 rounds and I'll go out another 3 times with work. The only guys I know in their mid 20s golfing more then this have rich parents who float their membership fees. Anyone I know that is selfmade doesn't blow money on memberships haha

[FullFledgedYYC]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
How many millennials do you know who have bought a membership at a private or semi-private course? How many are even seriously considering it?

How about even people under age 40, whatever generations that puts them in, same questions?

30, just bought in. Brother in law is 34 and also just bought in.

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
How many millennials do you know who have bought a membership at a private or semi-private course? How many are even seriously considering it?

How about even people under age 40, whatever generations that puts them in, same questions?

This is where the 'cliff' is coming for a lot of higher end private courses. The kids of members are reaching the 'buy-in or get-out' stage and don't have the money to do so. Many of the clubs are finally instituting some pretty palatable payment plans (very little interest, spread over 10 years kind of thing) for the transitioning junior to shareholder member but if they don't golf all that much the parents might as well just bring them along as a guest when they want to golf and save a few grand a year.

When the kids get enough of their own money by their 40s when golf looks to be the primary hobby the memberships won't be that hard to come by like they used to be. The advantage of 'being the child of a member' is gone now. If there's no waitlist to need to bypass then there is no urgency to upgrade that membership. It will also matter if the rest of the family likes, or wants to play.

[ExtraSlow]

Heard a radio ad for Ingelwood today too. $6500 buys your share certificate and your 2017 dues.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Heard a radio ad for Ingelwood today too. $6500 buys your share certificate and your 2017 dues.

Pretty sure 5 or 6 years ago that was 17500 without dues being included.

[ExtraSlow]

They claim it's a "$10,000 value"

[npham]

cjblair and I have talked about this a bit and we both agree that memberships are going to be cheap as fuck going forward. A lot of private courses(everything but CGCC) is going to be in a world of pain in the next 5-10 years. Golf is a niche sport, always has been, but gained a lot of popularity with the 'Tiger' effect. Golf is normalizing back to it's traditional interest levels right now.

Personally, I'm ok with paying the $3500-4500 a year for dues at any number of private or semi private golf courses in Calgary. But plunking down $10-30000 just to have the ability to play a private course is too much for me, as I don't see positive EV from an equity golf membership anymore. I 'waste' more money in golf gear than 99% of people I know, and probably spend more money on clubs(yearly) than most spend on green fees annual, so it's not about the money for me - the value is just not there.

But if in 5 years courses like Earl Grey, Pinebrook, Silver Springs, etc want to charge $5000 for an equity membership, I think I could be persuaded, but not at the current price points.

Also, Hamptons was private, went semi private two years ago, but went back to private last year. They are owned by the Windmill Group(building the Phil Mickelson course).

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I wish it was more common to play only nine holes. That's a much more reasonable timeframe

Totally agree. I used to hit up the 9 hole course back in Ladysmith (Vancouver Island) all the time. I do not have the desire to play more than 9 holes of golf in the summer heat.

[ExtraSlow]

the private courses manage to take the "pace of play" thing far to seriously as well. At the elks last year, my foursome was waiting on the tee box for three holes in a row, and then, as soon as the group in front of us managed to speed up, the marshall was up our ass about holding up the group behind.

if you want faster rounds, leave more space between the tee times, even one or two minutes would do wonders to reduce stress and speed everyone up.

[asp integra]

I have 2 buddies who became members at Silver Springs last year and they both love it.

I would consider it, but it would have to be course I absolutely love, or buy in to a membership for a group of course where I could play any one of 4-5 courses any time I want.

I don't see golf as a dying sport, more and more of my friends are taking up the game (late 20s-early 30s)

The great thing about golf is you can play well into old age unlike some other sports

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
the private courses manage to take the "pace of play" thing far to seriously as well. At the elks last year, my foursome was waiting on the tee box for three holes in a row, and then, as soon as the group in front of us managed to speed up, the marshall was up our ass about holding up the group behind.

if you want faster rounds, leave more space between the tee times, even one or two minutes would do wonders to reduce stress and speed everyone up.

Totally. Some of those guys are such tools.

[heavyD]

The problem with golf is that you can't improve your game by being a casual golfer. You have to golf a lot to improve so it you don't have the time or money it's always a frustrating endeavor. Also the locals at most golf courses are total assholes which doesn't make for a friendly place to go and relax.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by heavyD
The problem with golf is that you can't improve your game by being a casual golfer. You have to golf a lot to improve so it you don't have the time or money it's always a frustrating endeavor. Also the locals at most golf courses are total assholes which doesn't make for a friendly place to go and relax.

You practice at the chip n putt and range, playing rounds won't do shit in comparison to that for advancement... golf becomes much more enjoyable once you stop caring about score though

I also very rarely interact with people outside of my foursome while golfing... unless people are trying to kill me with shitty drives and not yelling fore

[mr2mike]

Hipster beards impede your vision for a proper swing???