Niagara golf — changes in time
I golf. I play golf. I watch golf. I purchase golf accessories and attire. And so do many of you.
At this time of the golf season, many courses are scheduling their club championships, flights, senior and junior championship rounds to produce the winners they will send to the great Walter McCollum Champion of Champions tournament in September where the cream of the crop will surface with the trophies.
The sport includes all, from the youngest child of perhaps 6 or 7 to the oldest senior who can still get his or her arms and legs to stand at the tee and swing that club. It’s nondiscriminatory: No gender, culture, political persuasion, or religious beliefs can keep you off the golf course.
The price of the sport varies also, from the very economical courses to the elite. Most people can find equipment and a course in their price range. You can’t say that about too many things today.
You can be a member of your favourite course or you can book a time at a new course each round. It’s up to you.
My home course is Port Colborne Country Club, established in 1929. I grew up hitting the fairways as a child when the course was private and there was a waiting list to join. I’m fortunate enough to play about four times a week.
I am involved in the Ladies Solheim and in the past few years have played Rockway, Twenty Valley, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club and have also enjoyed Rolling Meadows, Hunter’s Point, Willowdel, Whisky Run, Pelham Hills, Grand Niagara, International Golf Course and Sparrow Lakes.
That’s a lot of golf courses. But it doesn’t even match half the number of the golf courses we have in Niagara.
Aren’t we lucky to live in Niagara where there are more than 30 golf courses to play at, both private and public? Lucky? Maybe not. How do so many golf courses survive financially with the rule of supply and
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demand? Yes, we have many tourists and people coming into the area to enjoy the courses and put their money down in the pro shops and restaurants in Niagara. But is this going to be enough? Can all of these golf courses survive?
This spring saw the closure of some courses and the sale of others. The owners of all clubs, both private and public have had to be very aggressive in pricing, getting investors, encouraging tournaments and keeping members. Rockway golf course changed its name a few seasons ago to Rockway Vineyard Golf and added a winery to the facility to expand its appeal to the general public. I believe the winery is very successful.
Port Colborne Country Club was sold to the threesome of Billyard/ Billyard/Durbano. They are aficionados of the golf industry with previous or current ownership of golf courses like Sparrow Lakes and Hunter’s Point.
They are currently bringing PCCC up to date with total renovations of the pro shop and club house. Work has also started on tree removal and updates to the course itself. It is an exciting time at the Port Colborne course. The membership has doubled and things are looking good. The parking lot cannot hold any more cars most days. It was a rough go the past few years, but the club survived thanks to a forward looking board of directors, loyal membership and new owners willing to invest their time and money.
How many other golf courses in Niagara will survive? The Niagara Parks courses of Legends, Whirlpool and Oak Hall have the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports to back them up. Private courses like Cherry Hill have a well-heeled membership to keep them going. Will privately owned or member owned courses have what it takes to stay in business? Can they keep the bills paid? We sure hope so.
Only the next season will tell. Peggy White is a freelance writer, avid reader and ‘ wanna’ be golfer. You can reach her at bpwhite777@cogeco.ca.