We have some wonderful golf courses in Virginia, but in North Carolina, they teach kindergarten children how to putt before they learn to write. North Carolina is, in fact, loaded with golf courses. It’s hard to drive 20 miles in any direction without seeing acres of lush green grass dotted with white sand and accentuated with 18 red flags.
I spent Christmas and the day after in Greensboro and encouraged my son-in-law Brent to get is a tee time Monday, weather permitting. Well, the weather permitted and we drove about 15 miles to a modest and fun little public course called Pleasant Ridge.
I sprang for the green’s fees and the pro shop manager gave us senior rates (though Brent is nowhere near a senior) at $20 each – with cart. We completed our round in about 3 ½ hours ran into very few traffic jams on the course. Everyone played quickly and courteously.
It’s hard to imagine a golf course making money with $20 and $25 green’s fees, but they stay busy, and that’s what makes the courses profitable. Pleasant Ridge probably made more money selling us a six-pack and snacks at the turn than they did renting us a cart with green’s fees. But lots of golfers on a given day translates into not only fee and cart revenue but also to food and beverage money and items like tees, gloves and golf balls at the pro shop.
I fear the next five years will not be kind to golf courses and far more will close than new ones will open, so here’s a New Year’s wish that Virginia courses become more competitive price-wise and figure out how to get golfers through 18 holes in less than 4 hours.
It can be done. They do it in North Carolina every day.
