January 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 66

Operations
Growing the Game of Golf:
Creative Ideas for the
Next Generation
By Bill Clevenger, Kurt " Turtle " Rogers and Lisa Gillen

A

declining population, aging community and low average household income present ongoing challenges for Illinois' Decatur
Park District (DPD) golf system. Five thriving public courses
in the 1980s and 1990s were based on an average population of
almost 90,000 people. Since that time, Decatur's population has dropped
20 percent and several major employers have left the community, affecting
the local economy. Furthermore, 111 golf courses, all doing their best to
entice a dwindling number of players, lie within a two-hour radius. While
these statistics paint a difficult local operational picture, golf participation
and frequency of play at the national level have also declined significantly.
According to the National Golf Foundation, golf course closings in 2014
outpaced openings for the ninth consecutive year. In fact, nine public courses closed in Illinois in 2014 and zero new courses opened.
For the past decade, DPD has
attempted to proactively respond
to our ever-evolving golf market.
In an effort to right-size the system
and attract new golfers, DPD re-

duced golf staff from 27 employees
to 12, decreased pro shop inventory
87 percent, cut chemical costs by 13
percent and reduced the number of
holes by closing a languishing 18-

Decatur Park District's golf system offers something for every age:
There's a short course for senior golfers, FootGolf(shown here) for
youth, and a " Nine after 5 " program that's attracting young professionals who may have never before set foot on a golf course.

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hole course (Nelson Park) and converting a small, nine-hole course
(Wildwood) to a prairie-style signature course - Red Tail Run Golf
Club by Raymond Floyd - which
has attracted 26,000 rounds per
year since its opening in 2006. With
three public courses in operation
today, DPD continues to feel the
strain of local and national shifts
in sporting interests, available free
time and disposable income. Over
the years, however, an enormous
investment has been made to create and maintain high-quality, attractive facilities. DPD's three golf
hubs, Hickory Point, Scovill and
Red Tail Run, are award-winning
courses that have attracted several
national and state tournaments.
To make the most of these facilities, DPD realized a need to
modify the traditions of the game
to fit today's demographic, establishing at each golf course a more
comprehensive entertainment venue. In 2015, creative offerings to
encourage play included a short
course, hack golf and fling golf at
Scovill Golf Course, all promoted
as the " Scovill Shake Up. " The
nine-hole, par three short course
was designed for beginners, juniors, seniors - anyone looking for
shorter distances and faster play.
The course was developed within
the existing 18-hole golf course,
January 2016 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2016 - Parks & Recreation
