“Golf courses struggle to get out of red, bring in green” plus 2 more |
- Golf courses struggle to get out of red, bring in green
- Golf cart bills move through General Assembly
- Golf course needs 4 metres of diking
| Golf courses struggle to get out of red, bring in green Posted: 22 Feb 2011 08:54 PM PST The polished halls of some local country clubs could soon smell of takeout pizza or echo with the sounds of a day-care center, as foreclosed golf courses change hands and new owners look for ways to make money with them. "The recession has impacted golf courses across the country and the golfing industry as a whole," said Gene Garrote, president of Celebration Golf Management, which has purchased five local courses in the past three years. His firm is talking with pizza-delivery companies about setting up shop in Stoneybrook West and is exploring a lease for a day-care center there. It's building a junior golf academy in Celebration, and adding classes that appeal to children and wives at the Golden Bear Club in Keene's Pointe. Even the pastry-laden menu at the Golden Bear has gotten a gluten-free makeover, in hopes of boosting restaurant sales. And night golf has made it to several courses. The retooling is designed to invigorate an industry that has been pummeled in recent years by a convergence of factors. The housing-market crash ended Florida's boom of golf-course developments, diminished incomes have made it tough for golfers to shell out $21,000 (the national average) to join a private club and high unemployment rates have translated into sharp declines in revenue at public golf courses. Not even the throngs of retiring baby boomers have offset the declines in discretionary spending in recent years. Operating revenue at all golf courses across the nation dropped 6 percent in 2009. In Orlando last year, the number of golf rounds played dropped by 7 percent — more than twice the national decline of 2.3 percent, according to a new report by the National Golf Foundation, based in Jupiter. In December alone, 12 percent fewer rounds were played in Orlando than a year earlier. In recent years, Heathrow Golf and Country Club in Lake Mary, Bella Collina in Montverde, Sanctuary Ridge in Clermont, and Windermere Country Club have all faced financial problems or foreclosure. Bridgewater in Lakeland was reorganized as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is on the market. Windermere, Bella Collina and Bridgewater have all been looking for buyers. "I tell sellers: 'You can expect offers to be half what you're asking,'" said golf-course sales specialist Kathy Bissell of Jacksonville. "Plenty of bank-owned properties [are] selling for 20 to 30 cents on the dollar." Right now is the time to buy, added Bissell, who is marketing 18-hole courses with starting prices of less than $1 million. A few years ago, golf-course analysts said "Build it and they will come," said Hilda Allen, a longtime golf-course real-estate agent based in Adel, Ga. Allen last year helped negotiate the sale of the Timacuan Golf Club in Lake Mary, and last month she sold Kissimmee Oaks Golf Course for $2.2 million. "Florida was overbuilt, and there's a lot of golf courses that have been changing hands," Allen said. And with lenders unwilling to finance most deals, cash is king, she added. Garrote said his financing comes from local partners who reinvest in the properties after acquiring them. Since he formed Celebration Golf Management in 2007, the group of partners has purchased Legends Golf & Country Club in Clermont, the Golden Bear Club near Windermere, Kings Ridge in Clermont, Stoneybrook West in Winter Garden, and Celebration Golf Club in Celebration. In most of those cases, the courses were still owned by developers in the final stages of building out the surrounding community — and owning a golf course wasn't in their plans, Garrote said. "There is lots of fear about the unknown," Garrote said of residents' reaction when informed that their country club has been sold. "What's going to happen? The Golden Bear Club at Keene's Pointe is a good example: It's a great community, and homeowners have invested lots of money, and people worry what will happen to the club." Homeowners in golf-course communities sometimes fear that new owners will build houses on the fairways and greens, though Garrote noted that, at least in some cases, deed restrictions require that the courses be used only for golf. Without turning them into neighborhoods, golf courses can still be successful. "I think our industry is like any other," he said. "We have to change with the times and be creative." Fore example, Celebration Golf has brought in local bands for evening social events, during which the course's management can sell food and beverages. And in both Celebration and Clermont, the company has introduced a new experience: nighttime rounds played with flashlights, golf balls that glow and illuminated flagsticks at each hole. mshanklin@tribune.com or 407-420-5538 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Golf cart bills move through General Assembly Posted: 23 Feb 2011 10:38 AM PST RICHMOND – Golf carts aren't just for carrying golfers and their clubs down fairways. In towns such as Colonial Beach, the vehicles carry residents and tourists down public roadways as well. The motorized carts are a form of alternative transportation for short distances – and can be more fuel-efficient and cheaper to maintain than automobiles. Under two bills making their way through the General Assembly, more golf carts soon could be tooling along public roads in Virginia. Last week, the Senate unanimously approved HB 1972, which would allow the state Department of Conservation & Recreation to drive golf carts and utility vehicles on state roads inside and immediately adjacent to state parks. The bill restricts the vehicles to roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Delegate Roxann Robinson (R-Chesterfield) sponsored the bill. It had previously cleared the House, 98-1.Robinson said the bill would help the DCR operate more efficiently. HB 1972 "will simply downsize the vehicle they will use to perform their job within state parks," she said. That is not the only golf cart-related legislation on the move. Last week, the House of Delegates voted 98-0 in favor of SB 871, which would clarify when golf carts and utility vehicles may cross highways in Colonial Beach, a town of about 3,500 residents in Westmoreland County in Virginia's Northern Neck. SB 871 was sponsored by Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Montross). He represents Westmoreland County and eight other localities. Under existing law, golf carts and utility vehicles may be operated only on designated public highways where the posted speed limit is 25 mph or less, and they may cross a highway at an intersection controlled by a traffic light only if the highway has a posted speed limit of no more than 35 mph. Stuart's bill would remove the 35 mph restriction for golf carts and utility vehicles crossing roadways in Colonial Beach. Instead, in Colonial Beach, such vehicles could cross any highway at an intersection marked with a golf cart crossing sign posted by the Virginia Department of Transportation. In January, the Senate also had unanimously approved SB 871. The House action now sends the bill to Gov. Bob McDonnell to be signed into law. Colonial Beach is a golf cart community, according to its Chamber of Commerce. Residents and visitors often drive the motorized vehicles on public roads as well as on the boardwalk along the Potomac River. People can rent golf carts and low-speed vehicles to get around town. "The carts are 'dressed up' and seen everywhere," the chamber's website says. The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of vagazette.com. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited, Posts that contain such will be removed. Repeat offenders may be barred from posting comments. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Golf course needs 4 metres of diking Posted: 23 Feb 2011 09:05 AM PST  BRUCE BUMSTEAD/BRANDON SUN Enlarge Image Mayor Sheri Decter Hirst, centre, clarifies the city's priorities for flood protection during a flood protection meeting to discuss the impact on the Wheat City Golf Course at Mum's Restaurant on Tuesday evening. Dikes on the Wheat City Golf Course will have to be raised more than 13 feet to withstand the worst-case flood scenario, city officials told concerned citizens on Tuesday night. "If there is a change in the forecast, where you'd only need two or three feet above the existing dikes, then I'll sit down with senior administration to see what can be done," city operations manager Rod Sage told the estimated crowd of 40 people at the Wheat City Golf Course. Sage said the dike would have to be raised four metres to be able to withstand the worst-case flooding projection of 363 metres above sea level at the 18th Street bridge. "To build a sandbag dike that high is unrealistic," Sage told the meeting. Mayor Shari Decter Hirst still expects the Assiniboine River will bring high flood waters through Brandon. She added the city would pay a higher economic price if businesses and homes were put at risk to save the golf course from flooding. "We have finite resources," Decter Hirst said. "We have the Corral Centre. We have the Mazda and Toyota dealerships. Those businesses have to be at a higher priority than the golf course." One man replied: "What about Home Depot? Can't they afford to protect themselves?" "The economic impact of letting the Corral Centre flood and putting those businesses out of business and the unemployment and economic impact on the city would be worse than if we let the golf course flood," Decter Hirst said. That had some golfers concerned about how flooding would affect the course. "If the worst-case scenario happens, will the course operate with six holes?" Mark Shanks asked Bryce Wilson, the city's manager of recreation development. Wilson confirmed the course would open under that scenario, but added there have been cases when the course opened with a re-routed nine-hole track. "We'll modify what we have to make it work," Wilson said. "We can get out of this situation quickly and repair it so that the course is operational. If the water drops, we can get the water off. We will open unless directed otherwise." It's unlikely Decter Hirst would stand in the way of the course opening. "People are passionate about the golf course and that's a good thing," Decter Hirst said. "I think there is a comfort that we will do everything we can to get golfers on to this course as soon as we can in the spring." The city has leased 17 large pumps for four months to handle seepage water, which is more than sufficient to quickly remove whatever the Assiniboine River deposits, Wheat City Golf Course superintendent Tim Benstead said. That news satisfied some critics. "(Benstead) gave us all a little hope for what happens during a flood and what happens afterwards," Shanks said. "The mayor's in a tough spot. City council is in a tough spot. If I had a choice between the golf course and my house, I'd want my house saved." Wheat City Golf Course staff say they have already taken steps to deal with the anticipated flood and announced plans for deal with water seepage and standing water on problematic holes in the future. "The dike situation could be looked at later on, but when you do that, you may as well add some tee boxes and raise some fairways so that you don't have seepage coming in or you get heavy downpours," Benstead said. "Drainage is a big thing and you need to keep the golf course playable." Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition February 23, 2011 A1 ErrorThe following error(s) occurred:
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