I don’t feel like getting into the mathematics or science of it, but lets just say the golf industry is continuing to struggle.
According to the last Rounds Played Report from the NGF (2009-2010, because 2011 is obviously not over yet and therefore cannot yet be analyzed), the number of rounds played in the U.S., including both public and private courses, dropped by 2.3% – the largest drop since 01-02 (3%). This marks the fourth consecutive year, as well as the seventh of the past eight, that rounds played has dropped.
Again, I’m not going to attempt to explain the math, but according to the numbers I’ve looked up, these drops in rounds have worked out to an average loss per course throughout the country of $48,000 per year. All total, you’re looking at a loss of roughly $117 million dollars per year being spent on rounds of golf. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder private courses are going public and publics are going under.
So what can be done? Well what if there were more opportunities to play? What if you just had a little more time to play? Take for instance the Thanksgiving holiday. Many people had a four-day weekend (not me, but many). Now, a four-day weekend is pretty rare. But even the occasional three-day weekend provides ample opportunity to gain an extra day of golf during the year. Problem with Thanksgiving is, it’s usually too cold here in the northeast to get out and play at all.
It seems what’s needed is a new three-day weekend. One to take place during golf season. And being that the state of the game is what it is, the USGA may want to lobby for this as well. Personally, my vote would be for August. I know June doesn’t have any three day weeknds either, but with Memorial Day occuring late in May and Independence Day falling at the beginning of July, I can make it through June. But with the gap between the 4th of July and Labor Day, that’s a much longer period of time to go without a day off.
So, now that we’ve established August, what exactly are we going to celebrate? Well, there are several birthdays which occur in August that are worthy of some notoriety. Francis Scott Key for instance was born on August 1st. Three former presidents (Benjamin Harrison, Hoover and LBJ) were all born in August as well. Mother Teresa for cryin’ out loud! Surely Mother Teresa deserves a holiday in her name!
But I think there are two people who’s August birthday’s could be celebrated together. Two important Americans whom we all learned about while we were children in elementary school. Two people who’s names have become synonomous with searching for lost golf balls in the woods. Who are they you ask? None other than William Clark and Meriwether Lewis AKA Lewis & Clark.
Think about it. How many times have you seen your golfing buddies, or some people from another group ahead of you wandering the woods searching for their ball – “We’d probably have teed off by now if it wasn’t for Lewis & Clark searching for their balls in the woods.” Or “Check out Lewis & Clark mapping a trail to the green.”
Surely two great American pioneers together are deserving of one day to celebrate their accomplishments. After all, if not for Lewis & Clark, we may still not have discovered Omaha! And consequently, we may have never tasted those fantastic steaks! Culinarily speaking, where would we be then?!
Being that their birthdays fall on August 1st (Clark) and August 18th (Lewis), it seems to me like a good day to celebrate would be somewhere in the area of August 9th or 10th, with the actual observed holiday falling on the Monday or Friday closest. And just like that, we’ve given golfers an extra day of golf every summer.
So look what we’ve done here. We’ve gained an extra day off for our hard-working Americans, some recognition for two great pioneers, and an instant spark to the golf economy. What more could you ask for?
OK, we’ll work on June as soon as we get the one in August.
Swing ’til you’re happy!
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