Nine hole golf course are an endangered species, except in smaller towns where the quaint venues are the only game in the area.
Studies of golf operations suggest the most efficient set-ups cover 36 holes The additional maintenance equipment you need for 36 holes vs. 18 is negligible; a few additional workers is all you need. This assumes you can get enough green fees to keep both 18s busy. So, nine-hole operations fall on the wrong end of economies of scale.
Also, nine-hole tracks are often family operations. When the owners get ready to retire, the children often got enough of working at the course during high school and don’t want to take over. A 60-acre tract with rolling hills and trees can make a nice subdivision plot, and pave the way for nice retirement for the couple. Among municipal courses, most of the closures in southwest Illinois the past three years have been nine-hole operations. Too much work for too little revenue if larger venues exist in the area.
For years it’s been clear that I love golf. Love playing it, love reading about it, love watching it on TV. But it’s finally time to admit my passion has crossed the fine line into obsession. The snowiest winter the Northeast has seen in years and a dip into the deep, never-ending world of golf message boards has sunken me to new lows. 
As the new year progresses, the new equipment comes out in full force. The problem is that more often than not, we see what’s being dubbed as the latest and greatest really ends up being just a few improvements over last year’s models. Not that there is anything wrong with that! By all means, if a clubmaker has a good thing going, why mess with it? 
Good day golf fans and welcome again to Hittin’ the Links. I was quite a weekend on the PGA Tour. Things are never boring at the Phoenix Open. If you have never had a chance to witness the 16th live in person I urge you to try it at least once in your life.
I’ll be honest with you, I feel like I really need to throw everything I believed about irons in the “game improvement” category out the window. Quickly. The Mizuno MX-300s changed my mind about what a game improvement iron should be and how a game improvement iron should feel. And this is coming from someone who thinks the constant Mizuno praise gets a little old sometimes.
What has the 2006 U.S. Open champion been up to lately? Aside from taking the SBS Championship by the throat and the birth of his son, Ogilvy has switched his club sponsor (from Cobra to Titleist) and apparel sponsor (from Puma to FootJoy), been busy on twitter (over 10,000 followers), and playing some kick ass golf. I did a little searching around and wanted to find out more about him. Take a peek and see about his family life, the clubs he’s using and some other odd ball facts.