Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014 - 6

(editor's letter
)
A Minnesota State
of the Game
J
The weather
offered the
state of the
golf business
a silver lining
through
most of the
summer.
une was the wettest month of the
modern record, with average rainfall
totals of 8.03 inches, and highs of
11.36 in the Twin Cities and 14.42 in Glencoe
and Redwood Falls. All that water had to
flow somewhere, and for the Meadowbrook
and Hiawatha golf courses, overflow from
nearby creeks and ponds resulted in the closure
of numerous golf holes and significantly
reduced rounds (and revenues) for June
and July.
While golf rounds went down the creek in
June (down 5.9 percent), they remained up
5.6 percent for the year. Weather and rounds
rebounded in July, with the latter improving
a modest 3.1 percent (and overall rounds
were up 4.6 percent, YTD). Across the country,
according to Pellucid, golf playable hours
rose in July (one percent), but are " well below
normal " over a 10-year average. More
importantly for our public and private golf
facilities, weekend golf playable hours were
showing improvement through July and August.
In sum, the weather offered the state of
the golf business a silver lining through most
of the summer.
If passion for golf translates to having fun
while playing, than most MGA members
(85 percent) feel the same way about the
game as the friends of budding investigative
journalist, Nadia Turner, 13, of Lakeville,
who found that her friends love golf simply
because it is " fun " (see story, p. 5). Our
definition of fun may change with age
and vary from Turner's subjects, but if the
concept of fun does not immediately come
to mind when we think of golf, it behooves
the jaded among us to get in touch with
our inner child (or inner Woodward and
Bernstein) and make a list of all the reasons
why the game brings us joy.
If you're an extrovert when it comes to
displaying your passion for the game, you'll
be delighted to know that thanks to a joint
effort between the Minnesota PGA and the
MGA, automobile owners will have the option
to purchase a " Play Golf Minnesota "
golf specialty license plate in 2015. Key details
have yet to be ironed out, but the golf
plate rollout is expected early next year. Revenues
generated from golf plate sales will be
earmarked to fund youth golf and other forthe-good-of-the-game
efforts designated by
the PGA and MGA. Watch for more news of
the golf plate rollout in a future communication
from the MGA.
Golden Valley G&CC, site of this year's
MGA Amateur Championship won by Jesse
Bull (see p. 31), recently celebrated its centennial.
Next year, Alexandria, Eshquaguma,
Woodhill and Red Wing golf clubs do likewise;
and in 2016, a slew of clubs turn 100,
most notably Theodore Wirth (the state's
first municipal course). It will also be the
100th the anniversary of Minnesota's first
national championship, Chick Evans' 1916
U.S. Open win at The Minikahda Club. With
the Ryder Cup visiting Hazeltine (Sept. 30Oct.
2) in 2016, expect the golf season to end
with a bang.
See you on the tee.
W.P. Ryan, Editor-in-Chief
4
MINNESOTAGOLFER Fall 2014
www.mngolf.org
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014

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