Golf numbers down, again
The weather hurt golf rounds all year, Golf Operations Director Darryl Muldoon said at the monthly meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee on Golf. The year started slowly in January due to cold and it was cold again in November.
Numbers for rounds are available on the POA website. For January through September 2018, 118,000 were recorded. The same period in 2017 saw 126,678 rounds. Non-member rounds did increase during the same periods, he said, going from 26,230 in 2017 to 28,283 in 2018.
Golf merchandise sold in pro shops has also been doing better than previous years.
The most recent special has
brought some golfers in, Muldoon said. Titled “Cold Days, Warm Price,” the offer allows $25 golf rounds if the Weather Channel predicts a high temperature between 35 and 45 degrees.
Golf Maintenance Director Keith Ihms posts an update on the golf section of the POA website every morning so players can check to see when the course opens and if tee times are being scheduled. He said that it is usually posted by 7 a.m. and he will add the information about the special offer on days when it’s applicable.
Marketing Director Kim Carlson said she plans to advertise the special in the future.
Muldoon told the committee that in 2019 he is scheduling fewer tournaments than last year. He plans to keep the most popular POA sponsored tournaments, as well as charity tournaments like the Cancer Challenge, but will cut some of the smaller ones. That will open more
tee times for regular play.
During the open forum, member Tommy Frietag suggested larger holes would make the game easier as players age. He suggested the POA use that technique on one course and see if it’s popular.
Muldoon said they have used the large holes in the past and will probably use them for special tournaments but not on a daily basis. Using the large holes means the results won’t
count in a handicap program.
Another suggestion from the audience was to give older golfers the special handicap flags that would allow them to drive off the cart paths to get closer to the holes.
General manager Tom Judson explained that use of the handicap flags is dictated by special license plates on the golfers’ cars. That way the Department of Motor Vehicles is making
the decision on who is handicapped. He doesn’t want pro shop employees making medical decisions. If older golfers want the same special privileges, they can ask their doctor to help them get handicapped plates on their vehicles.