The Pellucid Perspective - August 2023 - 9

better; and there was even more progress this year. The greens
were improved, as were the fairways. Like Fire Ridge, however,
their bunkers were atrocious.
This brings us to the fourth course, a perennial Top 100 club
where I play 90%+ of my golf. Even venerable Milwaukee Country
Club is not immune to the passage of time and the need for
capital improvements. After several attempts (experiments) with
different bunker construction materials and methods (along with
member complaints); all of the trademark Colt & Alison bunkers
will be redone this fall. Based on what I heard at the GCBAA
Conference, we were lucky to find a contractor to do the work.
The great part of this 4 facility whirlwind tour was seeing the
progress and improvements at courses that have " history " - not
all of it good. What the Marcus' have done with Grand Geneva
is remarkable, what the owners have done at Fire Ridge and the
work of the Ozaukee County Parks is getting noticed. Golfers are
filling their tee sheets supporting our long standing survey results
that indicate " course conditioning " is the most important reason
golfers choose to play a course. We would also add that " bunker
bitching " is by far the most frequent complaint.
We have now completed over 60% of the 2023 golf season
based on capacity (inventory) and almost everything we see
points to a fourth consecutive season of good golf course operating
performance. While the pandemic helped boost participation;
the sustained record level course utilization says we are continuing
to offer a recreational value. We would submit that the
reinvestments resulting in better course conditions are playing a
part in our continuing success.
As Jim Koppenhaver pointed out in his most recent Outside
the Ropes newsletter; the price of playing golf has trailed inflation
since 2020. This also supports the case for golf continuing to
represent a recreational value and that golf course operators have
shown pricing restraint in spite of record demand and course utilization.
See graphic on opposite page.
As we pointed out last month; our biggest challenge is walking
that tightrope of increasing costs without impacting the value
we deliver. The good news of our 4 course tour is that facility
improvements are resonating well with their customers. The bad
news is that there is more work to be done. As we found out at
the GCBAA Conference; material supply chain issues and available
contractors to do the work are going to make it harder to
satisfy the demand for needed capital/renovation projects.
On a positive note, the recurring theme at the Conference
was how the builders and their suppliers are helping their client
courses navigate price and availability situations. Vitually all of
the panelists echoed the same commitment to providing cost effective
project solutions.
In the end, the only safety net the golf industry has is a
dedication to innovation, efficiency and productivity. It's also
going to require all hands on deck.
n
The Lodge of Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, Missouri
DISCOVER
THE TROON APPROACH
Troon's collection of daily-fee,
resort, private, and semi-private
facilities create memorable member and guest experiences at
renowned clubs around the world. By utilizing the professional
expertise of our
team and collaborating with our clients, we
reinvigorate golf courses and club communities, making them
relevant, healthy, and sustainable. Visit TheTroonApproach.com to
learn more about who we are and why our clients partner with us.
Justin Thomas
Team Troon
www.PellucidcorP.com
The Pellucid PersPecTive
9
https://www.troon.com/management-services/ http://www.PellucidcorP.com
The Pellucid Perspective - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Pellucid Perspective - August 2023
