http://worldgolfreport.blogspot.com
**The Week That Was, march 26, 2017
In terms of development and construction, 2016 was another repeat performance for the U.S. golf industry. Our business lost 190 golf properties last year, according to the National Golf Foundation, continuing a string of net annual reductions that began in 2006. Sadly, the plus side of the ledger barely showed a pulse, as only 15.5 new courses opened, according to the NGF’s unnecessarily complicated math. While these losses may seem dismaying, the NGF characterizes them as a “healthy self-balancing of supply and demand” and cheerfully predicts that they’ll continue “for several more years.” The message, apparently, is that when supply and demand finally do reach some sort of equilibrium, everything will be hunky-dory for golf operations. As in years past, the courses most likely to go belly up are privately owned, affordably priced nine- or 18-hole daily-fee tracks. All in all, when 2016 ended there were 15,014 U.S. golf facilities still standing. By this time next year, the NGF expects to count 150 to 175 fewer.**
This is just crushing year after year. That is a lot of golf pro jobs lost too.
The courses being closed are the ones that are needed to develop future talent. This is going to be a tough hole to come out of for the industry. Fewer courses mean fewer players. Sad that we are losing 9 hole courses too.
They might as well try big-hole golf on these courses that are about to close. They have nothing to lose. It seems we are going to be left with private clubs and high-end resort clubs like Pebble, Pinehurst, Bandon Dunes, etc. Cities are stopping subsidizing their local munis because of the increased costs and lower play. Taxpayers don't want to pay for something they don't use. Can't blame them.