Too many golf clubs??

[Fleur]

Seen this and wondered what you think of it?

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/10806146._It_will_give_us_all_a_smaller_slice_of_the_cake____golf_clubs__anger_at_plans_to_build_new_course/

Are these clubs just whining, or do they have a point?

[bkuehn1952]

If the local course owners want to limit their competition, they should get together and purchase the land from the developers.  Maybe develop a proposal to build a nice proper pig farm.  Then the local residents can pass the hat and purchase the land from the local course owners and turn it into a nature preserve.  Problem solved.

[MS256]

Like most businesses, golf overbuilt during the boom and now the weakest are paying the price for it. I've seen the same thing happen in other industries I've been involved in. I'm not big on legislating the competition out of the equation.

Some courses will continue to prosper and others will continue to go belly-up. As long as unfair and unlawful business practices are not used (good luck winning those fights in court anyway) the best managed will remain.

The hardest fight for private owners is to compete against courses subsidized by tax payers.