The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
REVENUE HEATS UP
Thanks to a warm fall, area courses seeing plenty of players
The brightly colored leaves on trees, brisk winds and cooler temperatures of fall are sure signs the golf season in Northeast Ohio is entering its final stage.
And while there are fewer players on area courses than in the heart of summer, plenty of golfers will don sweaters and jackets and play until the snow flies.
“Fall is a great time to play, especially on a day like today,” Strongsville resident Rich Lane said after he and playing partner Marti Ferian completed a round at Royal Crest Golf Course in Columbia Station last week on a warm, late October afternoon.
“It’s been a good (golf) season with a lot of dry days,” Ferian said.
The fact that area public courses have switched to lower greens fees for fall isn’t lost on these two avid golfers.
“Price is an important consideration, especially for seniors,” Ferian said.
The owners and managers of area courses also are fans of fall golf, especially in golf seasons such as this one when wet, cold weather in spring suppressed the number of rounds played in April, May and early June.
“Golfers tell us they really love fall golf,” said Julia Osborne, chief of business operations at Hickory Nut Golf Course in Columbia
Station.
Jimmy Hanlin, one of the most familiar names in local golf, chuckled when asked for his overview of the 2017 golf season.
“This has been the least stressful year I’ve had in a decade,” said Hanlin, attributing his reduction in anxiety to better weather and increased business.
Hanlin is the co-owner and general manager of Little Mountain Country Club in Concord Township and a stakeholder in StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights. He also is host of the TV shows “The Swing Clinic,” “Golf Zone with Jimmy Hanlin” and “18 Holes with Jimmy Hanlin and Natalie Gulbis,” all airing on SportsTime Ohio.
“In general, golf has taken an uptick this year in Northeast Ohio,” Hanlin said. “We’ve had good weather since late June, the courses are in great shape and people want to play more golf.”
Hanlin said he and his business partners are spending money on their properties after a period of retrenchment dating to 2008 and the general downturn in the U.S. economy.
“When golf started its decline, everybody cut expenses in response to declining revenue,” he said. “We’ve made a concerted effort to invest back in our facilities and gotten great response from our customers.”
At Little Mountain, Hanlin said, a good fall season will enable the course to meet its target of 20,000 rounds in 2017. StoneWater is a semi-private club that allows public play.
“We’re really encouraged about the upturn in membership (at StoneWater) and the way people are responding to the changes we’ve made in the clubhouse and our food and beverage operation.”
Greens fees at Northeast Ohio public courses stayed in the user-friendly range this season. Through the summer, greens fees for 18 holes with a riding cart averaged $25 to $29 for seniors and $30 to $35 for other players. Fall brings reductions in those fees.
“Fall golf is highly underrated,” Hanlin said.
Although there have been some course closings in Northeast Ohio in recent years, the area still has a high concentration of affordable public courses.
Hickory Nut, Royal Crest and Dorlon Park Golf Course are minutes away from each other in eastern Lorain County.
“Having courses in close proximity is a good thing,” Osborne said. “There’s enough business to go around.”
— Jimmy Hanlin, co-owner and general manager of Little Mountain Country Club in Concord Township and a stakeholder in StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights. He also is host of the TV shows “The Swing Clinic,” “Golf Zone with Jimmy Hanlin” “When golf started its decline, everybody cut expenses in response to declining revenue. We’ve made a concerted effort to invest back in our facilities and gotten great response from our customers.”