I don’t know about any of you, but I know what I do in the winter – I hibernate. Though I would prefer the cooler weather over the heat, that doesn’t mean I want to be out in the cold. When I was a little kid, of course I wanted to be outside no matter what the weather. However, as I get older, somewhere along the line I developed an internal thermometer. And at whatever point that occurred, the chance that I would ever participate in any winter sports was out the window. I don’t ski. I don’t snowboard. I don’t ice skate. Fishing is great, just not between the months of November and April. Hence one of the reasons I prefer golf.
But being a golfer (and I use that term quite loosely), I of course notice that, here in the northeast, many golf courses simply shut down in the winter months. Now I don’t know about you, but that sounds like quite a waste of space and maybe even a wasted opportunity to make a bit of money during a time when no money is coming in.
For instance, when I was a kid, we used our local golf course for something that most kids used a golf course for in the winter…sledding. As kids, my sisters and our neighborhood friends would walk half a mile through the snow just to get to the tenth hole at the local course because it was a great hill for sledding.
Also, I’ve got a friend who enjoys cross-country skiing. But the problem is, he’s normally relegated to the streets and sidewalks when it snows. And once everything is plowed, what then? Well, if he lives anywhere near a golf course, then that’s a nice fluffy layer of snow which, temperature-depending, could last for a good long time.
Another thing I used to do as a kid was to go fishing in the water hazards on the local golf course. However, I’ve never been ice-fishing there. But who’s to say that it’s not a good place to give it a try.
Point is, if all of these activities take place on a local golf course, then why not open up the 19th hole when all of these activities are going on? How about if the course is advertising that they are open for sledding, cross-country skiing and ice-fishing while keeping the 19th hole open for coffee, hot chocolate and a little food? Why not invite people out to your course and have a chance to make some money on a day when normally, there would be no income flowing?
I know some of you are thinking that these people are just going to be doing damage to the course. But keep in mind, I’m not saying to allow anyone out on the course with snowmobiles and ATVs. I’m just saying, take advantage and make a little money off of something that’s going to be happening out on your course anyway. I knew where the biggest hill for sledding was within walking distance when I was a kid. It was on the tenth hole of the country club up the road. Do you think other kids and families who live near golf courses don’t know the same thing? Of course, they could also just keep the course open for those who are willing to brave the cold anyway…
Swing ’til you’re happy!
Maybe if the 19th hole is being operated for free by a charity group. The insurance costs of letting kids sled would be something else to consider.