Posts
I've been around for a while. I've seen many things - many changes in Societal and Cultural mores and morals. That said, I still don't understand how the Boken girl, from Wheaton, could be murdered in broad daylight in a trendy street in west St. Louis. Some things just stop me cold.
Grannie asked me an interesting question today. Why does one 18 hole golf course charge more that another 18 hole golf course for greens fees? Given that at very basic levels, most courses need the same type of maintenance and care, why does Pebble Beach, a prestigious course in California, charge $500.00 for a round of golf and Wedgewood Golf Course, a Joliet Park District course charge something in the $30.00 range? Does Pebble Beach use better lawn mowers? Do they pay their greens keepers really large salaries? Just where does the large fee come from? Bethpage in New Yourk - $130.00 for 18 holes. Why? Is it the reputation the course has?
Last year, 2011, there were 1 MILLION fewer rounds of golf played at golf courses in the U.S. than the year before. And this year? On a pace to gain a million, but there are fewer courses than there were a year ago. Professional Golf is healthy and growing - but the game that you and I play is dying on the vine. More golf courses close than open, those that haven't closed are getting more expensive to play.
Something needs to be done to address the state of the game. One of the newer attempts at handling the time and expense of the game is restructuring the game around 6 hole sections - golf courses are being planned around three 6 hole sections, instead of two 9 holes.
We need more inventive thinking to help the game - so ALL of us can afford to play.
Ndinombethe.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Golf has always been seen as a game for elites as they are unwilling to go en though elites are too fancy to actually pursue an professional career, unwilling to hit the bushes of the Nationwide tour and others.
For a long while, sports was just that, a leisure activity to escape from the boring drudgery of being rich. Then "peasants" were allowed to participate and it became a spectacles and you could earn obscene amounts of money performing them. Now, I think the upwardly mobile as beginning to take back their games and they are not shy about it...
Well, I think I can answer the Pebble Beach/Joliet question, at least to some degree. Taxes, my friend. Imagine what the difference must be. The rest probably lies in branding, reputation, status, TV exposure, posh clubhouse and locker rooms, etc. and all those other things you mentioned. I used to "play at" golf until I got sick of being patronized and treated like a second class citizen interloper by the men on the course.
I totally agree with the cost. It is WAY too costly to play. If we want people to be active, we have to have possible times to BE active and at affordable rate.s
Post a Comment