Golf!!!2! - Page 174 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Slava · 10-14-2020, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayswin

A lot of courses were originally looking at Oct 28 as a possible end of season. I'd imagine most will pack it in now. Just got the city of Calgary alert as they switched to an immediate closure on all courses.

Yeah, that’s probably about it. It’s been a great year and I played more than I did any other. I’m just glad we were able to play and enjoy what was a really good summer here.

Dion · 10-15-2020, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayswin

A lot of courses were originally looking at Oct 28 as a possible end of season. I'd imagine most will pack it in now. Just got the city of Calgary alert as they switched to an immediate closure on all courses.

Played Speargrass a week ago and they said the 25th. I can see that changing with the forecast.

Rutuu · 10-15-2020, 06:04 AM

RIP 2020 golf season. It sounded like a good one. Keep up the good fight in the off season fellow golfers.

calgarygeologist · 10-15-2020, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dion

Played Speargrass a week ago and they said the 25th. I can see that changing with the forecast.

Speargrass sent out an email yesterday saying they were shutting things down for the season. I managed to get out there on Friday and it was a lot of fun but really slow and backed up. 16/17/18 were are disaster with those holes backed up three groups deep.

Northendzone · 10-15-2020, 06:54 AM

^ that is interesting to me as i would have thought that all golf courses would push the envelope to maximize cash flow after a season where their revenues may have been down - but maybe that is a incorrect assumption on my part

of course that has to be balanced against protecting the infrastructure/greens etc.

Dion · 10-15-2020, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northendzone

^ that is interesting to me as i would have thought that all golf courses would push the envelope to maximize cash flow after a season where their revenues may have been down - but maybe that is a incorrect assumption on my part

of course that has to be balanced against protecting the infrastructure/greens etc.

Most courses have seen a huge uptick in revenue this summer with increased demand for tee times and courses almost filled to capacity each day.

There's the risk of not getting the greens tarped before a major snowfall.

Slava · 10-15-2020, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dion

Most courses have seen a huge uptick in revenue this summer with increased demand for tee times and courses almost filled to capacity each day.

There's the risk of not getting the greens tarped before a major snowfall.

Well the issue is zero (or basically zero) tournament revenue. So they got a lot of tee times, but lost that chunk, and that’s a lot of cash for the courses.

Dion · 10-15-2020, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

Well the issue is zero (or basically zero) tournament revenue. So they got a lot of tee times, but lost that chunk, and that’s a lot of cash for the courses.

Let me explain in a different way.

My course has had it's best year of revenues despite losing the coveted corporate tourney's like Shell Oil. Green fee players filled up the empty tee times in the afternoons and evenings that were empty in years past. When your course is running at over 90% capacity, like many others it more than makes up for the lost of tournament revenue.

To be clearer, revenues from years past tournaments were compared to the extra green fee revenues earned this year.

Northendzone · 10-15-2020, 09:03 AM

i guess i was thinking that with the late start to the season, more minutes between tee times and some of the crummy weather thru the start of July and the relatively crappy alberta economy that they might be hurting.

Good to hear that i may be wrong

Dion · 10-15-2020, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i guess i was thinking that with the late start to the season, more minutes between tee times and some of the crummy weather thru the start of July and the relatively crappy alberta economy that they might be hurting.

Good to hear that i may be wrong

What also helped golf courses was the limited amount activities people could participate in. No organised football, soft ball, baseball, lacrosse etc. It could be argued many of those people chose to play golf or take it up for the first time.

sec304 · 10-15-2020, 09:16 AM

Damn. I was hoping to get out at least one more time this year. The forecast sure plummeted. Hopefully a late October chinook is on it's way

Slava · 10-15-2020, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dion

Let me explain in a different way.

My course has had it's best year of revenues despite losing the coveted corporate tourney's like Shell Oil. Green fee players filled up the empty tee times in the afternoons and evenings that were empty in years past. When your course is running at over 90% capacity, like many others it more than makes up for the lost of tournament revenue.

To be clearer, revenues from years past tournaments were compared to the extra green fee revenues earned this year.

Yeah and it will be different for courses that have public bookings. For my course that's not the case, and they definitely got hit with the loss of tournament revenue. If I play an extra 20 times a year, they get the same amount of money from me. They came out alright, but that was due to cuts elsewhere to balance things out.

Weitz · 10-15-2020, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

Yeah and it will be different for courses that have public bookings. For my course that's not the case, and they definitely got hit with the loss of tournament revenue. If I play an extra 20 times a year, they get the same amount of money from me. They came out alright, but that was due to cuts elsewhere to balance things out.

Yah I've talked to a few of the shops I have played at and while tee times are way up, revenues are the same ish but mostly lower.

The hope is that tourneys can return in full force next year and the interest stays high so tee times are filled.

Dion · 10-15-2020, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

Yeah and it will be different for courses that have public bookings. For my course that's not the case, and they definitely got hit with the loss of tournament revenue. If I play an extra 20 times a year, they get the same amount of money from me. They came out alright, but that was due to cuts elsewhere to balance things out.

Fair enough, point taken

Weitz · 10-15-2020, 09:25 AM

Dion your course may be in a different situation than some of the Calgary courses.

There are a few in town that host 1-2 tourneys every 10 days in the summer. Thats huge money.

And this totally leaves out all the weddings that were missed this year.

Suffice to say I think a lot of courses are happy with this year all things considered. Lets hope it keeps up over the next few years so we don't lose courses.

Dion · 10-15-2020, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weitz

Dion your course may be in a different situation than some of the Calgary courses.

There are a few in town that host 1-2 tourneys every 10 days in the summer. Thats huge money.

And this totally leaves out all the weddings that were missed this year.

Suffice to say I think a lot of courses are happy with this year all things considered. Lets hope it keeps up over the next few years so we don't lose courses.

In hindsight I should have stated my course was a unique situation. From what you and Slava have posted I should have given what I said more research

Rutuu · 10-15-2020, 10:19 AM

Redwood Meadows had 5000 more rounds played than last year. That was a big uptick for them.

Not a big tournament club though.

Weitz · 10-15-2020, 10:44 AM

If gathering limits get dropped by next spring because of vaccines and what not the amount of weddings will be huge.

I attended one at a golf course this past weekend and they said it was the only one they hosted this year as everyone else cancelled/postponed!

Kidder · 10-15-2020, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weitz

I attended one at a golf course this past weekend and they said it was the only one they hosted this year as everyone else cancelled/postponed!

2045 will be a very bleak year for the Silver industry.

Lubicon · 10-15-2020, 12:19 PM

Would be interested to see how (overall) golf courses faired this season compared to a typical season. Tee sheets seemed to be packed solid so revenue was up (minus tournaments). But how much extra did the Covid protocols cost (sanitization etc.) and I saw a lot of courses not running a beverage cart too. I wonder how it all worked out in the end.

Two other thoughts I have had:

1. how did you feel about many of the Covid adjustments? no raking bunkers, flag sticks stay in hole etc. The flag stick thing was pretty much a non event for me, I didn't really miss not being able to remove it when putting. Does that speed up pace of play?

2. given all the trepidation when courses opened, were there any documented Covid cases traced back to golf courses? I don't recall hearing of any. Good news if that is truly the case. The year end email summary from one of the courses I have played in BC mentioned they had exactly zero reported/observed issues of people not following protocols. Overall I think people were pretty good about playing by the rules this year (not golf rules!)