The Pellucid Perspective - November 2019 - 8

INDUSTRY
OBSERVATIONS

Bad Assumptions
By Stuart Lindsay

man was hurt this weekend in a golf
attention to the crowds and ratings in Phoenix, too. Refercart crash at a nudist resort in Anne
ences to creating the "Silicon Valley of Golf " and the cenArundel County, Maryland. The man
tral location giving easier access to their 29,000 members are
crashed into a tree Saturday afternoon at the Marysimply window dressing designed to distract attention from
land Health Society, The Capital Gazette reported.
the real intent.
The group is the oldest nonprofit, clothing-optional
We would further point out that there are more PGA
health resort and campground in the country, its webmembers in Florida where there are more courses than any
site says. The man suffered serious but non-lifeother state. And that does not include the "snowthreatening injuries after crashing into a tree,
bird" PGA members that flock to Florida every
causing the golf cart to overturn, the Anne
winter. Are they assuming that their memArundel County fire department said. He
bers will all of a sudden develop a desire
called 911 from a building at the nudist
to go to Texas? As Philip Sheridan once
resort, where he was either staying or
said "if they gave me hell and Texas,
visiting. He was not wearing a helmet
I would live in hell and rent Texas".
at the time of the crash." Associated
Texas has come a long way from when
Press and NBCWashington Staff, OcSheridan was fighting Comanches; but
tober 28, 2019
our weather data confirms that January
When someone sent me this link, I
in Florida is much more conducive to
got excited at the possibilities - possibly
golf activity than on the plains of Texas.
distracted by increased female participaAs we watch the comments on social
tion, golfer crashes into tree while abiding
media, some PGA members are questionby the dress code. My hopes were quickly
ing whether this is the right direction for the
dashed. Using the IGDB golf course directory,
PGA to be heading. Some are asking about how
my assumption that there was such thing as a Sheridan Guard 1869, this helps to create employment opportunities
nudist golf course was incorrect. Golf carts are belonged to my great (beyond the positions at the 2 new courses) in
grandfather and is
apparently used to get around the 106 acre site
light of the significant course closures over the
now a necklace.
much like they are to get around horse shows,
last decade. Some are asking what the move will
soccer tournaments and other venues besides golf
add to improving their instructional skills. Havcourses.
ing studied the Dallas market several times; we would ask what
Assumptions can be dangerous. One of my early mentors the current owners of high end golf courses in the area think
into the golf business, Dennis Tiziani, once corrected one of about 2 new competitors.
my comments with the old adage that "assume" makes an ass
In the end, however, all the discussion within the industry
out of you and me. There are a couple recent examples floating about the move is relatively meaningless to the general golf
around in the golf industry.
public. A couple new potentially great courses may add some
"bucket list" interest, especially in light of how much PR is
* The move of the PGA to Frisco will be create new
going to be heaped on them; but some cynics are already quesinterest in golf with 2 courses good enough to host 37
tioning the automatic annointment of courses that have yet to
pre-scheduled events.
prove they are going to be both "fun" and immediately able to
* We can convince golfers that golf course conditioning
capture the cachet of other well established venues. Of course,
is not what they think it should be.
others will say you have to start building TV audience familiarity somewhere - or maybe there is a spot on the drawings for
As we said last month, those of us inside the industry ap- betting parlors.
parently don't understand what golfers really want. If we did,
At least they are supposed to be agronomically sustainable.
9 Million wouldn't have walked out the door since 2001 and We assume everybody understands what "sustainable" means;
participation in the 25 - 40 age group would not be half of but do we really know? We assume it means responsible wawhat it was 30 years ago.
ter usage. We assume that it means reduced use of fertilizers,
The PGA move to Dallas (Frisco) is really a financial oppor- insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. We assume it means
tunity for the PGA to own and operate a tournament venue. minimizing areas that require more intense carbon dioxide
They have watched the success of other big tournaments at producing mechanical intervention. Most of the good superin"fixed" locations in Augusta and Ponte Vedra. I'm sure they pay tendents I've met have been practicing sustainability for years.

8 The Pellucid PersPecTive

November 2019

The Pellucid Perspective - November 2019

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