Struggling economy taking its toll on golf courses
The rise of a young, Nike-christened Tiger Woods in the late 1990s turned a stodgy gentlemen's game into something fun and fashionable.
Droves of viewers tuned in. Inspired hackers headed for the tee box. And real estate developers, betting on forecasts of boundless interest in the sport, couldn't carve out new golf courses fast enough.
But they duffed it.
With so many baby boomers approaching retirement, who would have envisioned fewer golfers on the course?
Tiger remains the game's top ambassador, but the number of golf rounds played each year has tumbled from those peak times, and participation in the sport has hit a plateau.
Course managers blame a squeeze on household income and leisure time. They point to corporate cutbacks and the elimination of tax breaks for country club memberships.
Beginners lack the patience to stick with a difficult game, they say, and fewer young players are taking up the sport. (With Nintendo Wii Golf and EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour, you can score like the pros from the comfort of your couch.)
So the result is too many courses and not enough players.
"The industry's just kind of flatlined," said Scotte Rorabaugh, executive director of the Northern Ohio Golf Association. "You've got golf courses fighting to get people in the door."
Good-weather weekends still bring out the foursomes. Try getting a prime tee time at coveted courses, where greens fees with a cart can top $60.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports-6/1213259434300500.xml&coll=2