My ex-home courses closing, changing - proofs that golf is in decline

[rkim291968]

I just found out that my ex-home course, Sunol Valley Golf course, went out of business last month.  I played 2 - 3 times a week for 2 years not too long ago.  The course was done in by shrinking golfers, and 500% increase in water cost in the last 4 years of CA drought.  They could not make money.  

Another ex-home course is now doing business as a golf and foot golf (soccer golf) course.  Golfing customers were not enough.

Another course nearby (Santa Clara Tennis and Golf Club) is going to turn into a parking lot for a recently built football stadium.

It is sad that despite improved economy in Bay Area, CA, golf business is in decline.  They have been in decline since 1990s but most of the courses around here survived 2008-9 recession.  The current drought and the resulting water cost going through the roof appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the weaker courses.  

Sad.

[Dave325]

5 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

I just found out that my ex-home course, Sunol Valley Golf course, went out of business last month.  I played 2 - 3 times a week for 2 years not too long ago.  The course was done in by shrinking golfers, and 500% increase in water cost in the last 4 years of CA drought.  They could not make money.  

Another ex-home course is now doing business as a golf and foot golf (soccer golf) course.  Golfing customers were not enough.

Another course nearby (Santa Clara Tennis and Golf Club) is going to turn into a parking lot for a recently built football stadium.

It is sad that despite improved economy in Bay Area, CA, golf business is in decline.  They have been in decline since 1990s but most of the courses around here survived 2008-9 recession.  The current drought and the resulting water cost going through the roof appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the weaker courses.  

Sad.

That is real shame. I would imagine that the courses that remain may even raise there green fees to make up for the loss of profits and rising costs. Our courses here in Ohio are also advertising the Foot Golf thing, though I have never seen anyone playing it. I have seen a couple courses close near here, one was bought by a church (I loved that course, but the church is good too). And another course just announced their  closing this weekend. A couple were sold, but we still have plenty to choose from. 

There is a Greg Norman designed course a couple miles from me. They originally tried to make it a premier country club, but given the per capita of this area, they dropped their fees and came in-line with the rest of the courses in the area.

Are there a lot of others courses in your area to fill the gaps?

[Yukari]

Wow that too bad. I've play both Sunol and Santa Clara courses. 

It's a shame I won't be able to revisit them once in a while. 

[Patch]

Once or twice a month I drive by a great, some what high end golf course that is closed down. Has been for several years. When it first closed down, the owners let it go, maintenance wise.

However the HOA, and the city it's located in made the owner start keeping the landscaping up. 

Now when I drive by, it looks like a very nice, usable course, but no one is ever on it. 

I have seen a few more close in the area to make room for other construction stuff. 

[uitar9]

Financial law-the strongest survive-Us boomers drove a lot of course building-us boomers are in the decline-its gonna take a lot of millenniums to take up golfing if that trend is to reverse

[mcanadiens]

My home course is one of those that seems to collect the people whose home courses have closed. In recent years, we've probably had four or five shutter. Good ole Kittyhawk is the same sort of less-expensive public course that most of those closed ones were and now we've got massive pace-of-play problems.  

In the same breath, probably two-thirds are older than I am and I'm not that young anymore (39). Hard to guess what the Dayton area will look like golf-wise in 20 years.

[MrDC]

It can't be easy running a course in California these days, the water situation is really bad,  there will always be golf to be found there but the days of ubiquity are coming to end.

My friends there can't believe that I can live in NY, because of all the shitty weather, but it pays off with lots of water and hence, lots of golf everywhere, worth it.

[Pendragon]

On 2/7/2016 at 11:35 PM, rkim291968 said:

I just found out that my ex-home course, Sunol Valley Golf course, went out of business last month.  I played 2 - 3 times a week for 2 years not too long ago.  The course was done in by shrinking golfers, and 500% increase in water cost in the last 4 years of CA drought.  They could not make money.  

Another ex-home course is now doing business as a golf and foot golf (soccer golf) course.  Golfing customers were not enough.

Another course nearby (Santa Clara Tennis and Golf Club) is going to turn into a parking lot for a recently built football stadium.

It is sad that despite improved economy in Bay Area, CA, golf business is in decline.  They have been in decline since 1990s but most of the courses around here survived 2008-9 recession.  The current drought and the resulting water cost going through the roof appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the weaker courses.  

Sad.

I only played Sunol a couple of times, and that was maybe 20 years ago. Although not a great layout, anytime you lose a 36-hole facility, it hurts. Recently, other Northern California courses have closed, such as Shadow Lakes in Brentwood and Stevinson Ranch in the Central Valley, as well as 9-hole layouts Pine Meadow in Martinez, Springtown in Livermore, and Grayson Woods in Pleasant Hill. In addition, Ridgemark in Hollister and Diablo Grande in Patterson have gone from 36 hole facilities to 18 holes.

The drought has been a major factor in these closures, but the reality is that there just aren't as many golfers these days. It wouldn't be surprising to see another 10 courses in the Bay Area close over the next two decades. Of course, I'll be 90 then, so it probably won't affect me a whole lot personally, but it's sad to see what's happening. 

[rkim291968]

45 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

I only played Sunol a couple of times, and that was maybe 20 years ago. Although not a great layout, anytime you lose a 36-hole facility, it hurts. Recently, other Northern California courses have closed, such as Shadow Lakes in Brentwood and Stevinson Ranch in the Central Valley, as well as 9-hole layouts Pine Meadow in Martinez, Springtown in Livermore, and Grayson Woods in Pleasant Hill. In addition, Ridgemark in Hollister and Diablo Grande in Patterson have gone from 36 hole facilities to 18 holes.

The drought has been a major factor in these closures, but the reality is that there just aren't as many golfers these days. It wouldn't be surprising to see another 10 courses in the Bay Area close over the next two decades. Of course, I'll be 90 then, so it probably won't affect me a whole lot personally, but it's sad to see what's happening. 

Springtown in Livermore is the one my wife and I played for a year when we were beginner golfers. It was not much of a course but as beginners, we felt comfortable to play there.  That one went out of business recently, too. 

[sjduffers]

I know of at least 4 or 5 courses that have a foot golf program with the big holes set off to the side of the fairways but I have never seen anyone actually play those courses as foot golf.  Sunol's land was owned by the San Francisco Water District and I suspect a flagrant conflict of interest there: we'll double and triple the water bill and you'll pay us that way or we take the place over and sell it to developers with condos and whatnot.  I suspect the latter is what they had in mind and probably what will happen... Yes, it's sad: it was a very decent blue collar golf facility...

Santa Clara isn't quite done yet, but ever since Levi's Stadium was built, they have use it as extra parking lot for the events there (49ers games, concerts, etc...), usually closing a day or two ahead of the week-end event, but for the Super Bowl, the security forces were stationed there with heavy equipment (humvees and heavier), for more than a week.  Even, when they reopen, who knows how deep the ruts will be, given how wet the ground was before all this...  There is talk of converting the golf course into a mall area, just across from the stadium.  Of course, money talks and the land is more valuable as a parking lot and a mall than as a (muni) golf course!

<rant>Btw, that stadium is one of the worst boondongle in a while in the area, and paid for by taxpayer money (as usual: that is socialism for the rich owners, people!), between the turf problems, the traffic and parking problems, people baking in the hot sun, etc... And the NFL even took over (as in commandeered) the youth soccer fields just outside the stadium to build a press center for the SB.  The youth soccer organization sued the NFL but conveniently, no decision was made in time... The bottom line is that stadium was not properly thought out, but I guess it's better than Candlestick so "everyone" went along with it... and the taxpayers are footing a significant portion of the bill and are also supporting all of the inconveniences! </rant>

[imsys0042]

I've not heard of much trouble in the Pittsburgh area.   Low cost of land and no real pro-longed droughts certainly help.  If anything I would expect that for an area not densely populated that courses would close because of too many around and some consolidation needs to happen.  

CA must be a lot more expensive though.  A number of courses around me don't maintain much other than cutting the grass and basic stuff.   People are probably trying to hold on, and that's easier in a cheaper place to live.  

[mcanadiens]

41 minutes ago, sjduffers said:

I know of at least 4 or 5 courses that have a foot golf program with the big holes set off to the side of the fairways but I have never seen anyone actually play those courses as foot golf.

We have foot golf on the par-3 course at my home complex. I've seen a few play it, but I'd guess not as many as they had hoped. It hasn't really presented much of a problem although you got to watch out for the clueless ones that will run into your fairway without looking.

[mchepp]

4 hours ago, sjduffers said:

<rant>Btw, that stadium is one of the worst boondongle in a while in the area, and paid for by taxpayer money (as usual: that is socialism for the rich owners, people!), between the turf problems, the traffic and parking problems, people baking in the hot sun, etc... And the NFL even took over (as in commandeered) the youth soccer fields just outside the stadium to build a press center for the SB.  The youth soccer organization sued the NFL but conveniently, no decision was made in time... The bottom line is that stadium was not properly thought out, but I guess it's better than Candlestick so "everyone" went along with it... and the taxpayers are footing a significant portion of the bill and are also supporting all of the inconveniences! </rant>

Not to mention they had just cancelled an event for the girl scouts for a Beyonce concert. Looks like they corrected that though: 

http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_29470552/girl-scouts-get-bad-news-from-49ers

[Pendragon]

On 2/7/2016 at 7:26 AM, Patch said:

Once or twice a month I drive by a great, some what high end golf course that is closed down. Has been for several years. When it first closed down, the owners let it go, maintenance wise.

However the HOA, and the city it's located in made the owner start keeping the landscaping up. 

Now when I drive by, it looks like a very nice, usable course, but no one is ever on it. 

I have seen a few more close in the area to make room for other construction stuff. 

Your comment brings to mind our recent trip to Molokai. Our condo was right on the beach, and directly overlooked the building that was the pro shop of the former Kauakoi Golf Course, which was closed in 2008. A resort course designed by Ted Robinson, it was the victim of a protracted battle between the developer, who wanted to build a 200-home luxury subdivison on the island's west side, and community traditionalists, who opposed large-scale tourism and development. The developer, Molokai Ranch, pulled the plug rather than continue to lose money if they couldn't go forward with their proposed project.

What remains is rather surreal. In a walk around the property, which is significantly overgrown, we came across yardage markers and benches and, at least in some spots, we could make out where some of the fairways had been. There are 3 condo complexes, all built in the 70's in conjunction with the golf course, that continue to be well maintained. Most units are rentals, but maybe 25% are owner-occupied, some no doubt purchased by avid golfers seeking to realize their dreams of living on a golf course set on a beautiful beach. Now, for them playing golf means a 19 mile drive to the 9-hole Ironwood Hills layout, the only golf course on the island. ,  

[Patch]

27 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Your comment brings to mind our recent trip to Molokai. Our condo was right on the beach, and directly overlooked the building that was the pro shop of the former Kauakoi Golf Course, which was closed in 2008. A resort course designed by Ted Robinson, it was the victim of a protracted battle between the developer, who wanted to build a 200-home luxury subdivison on the island's west side, and community traditionalists, who opposed large-scale tourism and development. The developer, Molokai Ranch, pulled the plug rather than continue to lose money if they couldn't go forward with their proposed project.

What remains is rather surreal. In a walk around the property, which is significantly overgrown, we came across yardage markers and benches and, at least in some spots, we could make out where some of the fairways had been. There are 3 condo complexes, all built in the 70's in conjunction with the golf course, that continue to be well maintained. Most units are rentals, but maybe 25% are owner-occupied, some no doubt purchased by avid golfers seeking to realize their dreams of living on a golf course set on a beautiful beach. Now, for them playing golf means a 19 mile drive to the 9-hole Ironwood Hills layout, the only golf course on the island. ,  

I read something years ago that there was a guy buying property from the city/county to build public golf courses. Because the property was to be used for public use, he was able buy it very cheap. Once the course was built he would set green fees high enough where only a few wealthy folks would use them. When he could show he was losing money, he would request a zoning change to turn the golf course into a single/multi family housing developement. He was eventually found out.  Only thing that happened was some politicians (allegedly) lost their jobs for being in cahoots with him. I also read some of the courses were saved, but are now closed down. 

[Braivo]

15 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

We have foot golf on the par-3 course at my home complex. I've seen a few play it, but I'd guess not as many as they had hoped. It hasn't really presented much of a problem although you got to watch out for the clueless ones that will run into your fairway without looking.

I played this with my kids last summer, it was a real blast. I hope it catches on. 

As to the OP, golf courses will continue to contract. It is a mature, mostly high-end market. As the middle class shrinks the golf courses are going to split in two directions. You are going to have the high-end courses that charge big $$ thriving in the right areas, then you will have poorly maintained "budget" courses that you can play for $20. Everything in between will suffer. 

The courses that seem to be having trouble are those that can't decide which way to go. You can't stay in the middle. With golfnow creating price arbitrage it is driving rates way down on all but the nicest courses. 

[Lihu]

On 2/7/2016 at 11:35 PM, rkim291968 said:

I just found out that my ex-home course, Sunol Valley Golf course, went out of business last month.  I played 2 - 3 times a week for 2 years not too long ago.  The course was done in by shrinking golfers, and 500% increase in water cost in the last 4 years of CA drought.  They could not make money.  

Another ex-home course is now doing business as a golf and foot golf (soccer golf) course.  Golfing customers were not enough.

Another course nearby (Santa Clara Tennis and Golf Club) is going to turn into a parking lot for a recently built football stadium.

It is sad that despite improved economy in Bay Area, CA, golf business is in decline.  They have been in decline since 1990s but most of the courses around here survived 2008-9 recession.  The current drought and the resulting water cost going through the roof appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the weaker courses.  

Sad.

The Bay Area has a lot of hipsters, and most of them do not really play golf. It's not really a cool sport if it doesn't make you sweat and takes under 2 hours. Speed golf might be pretty cool.

[sjduffers]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

The Bay Area has a lot of hipsters, and most of them do not really play golf. It's not really a cool sport if it doesn't make you sweat and takes under 2 hours. Speed golf might be pretty cool.

The Bay Area also has a pretty large population of asian descent, with which (whom?) golf is increasingly popular, and as a result there are quite a few courses around here that are very busy with this demographic, with routine rounds in the 4.5 to 5.5 hours range.

In fact, there is a course near me when I can hardly come and play as a single as a walk-in: all the tee times are taken the day of, the course does not allow a single to book online (or on the phone) even the day before and there is not quite enough daylight yet to be guaranteed to finish when starting in the afternoon... When I do play this course, I see lots of very slow action on the green (every putt seems like it is for a million dollar, because there is wagering going on), groups of 5 playing from the tips when some of the players don't have the game for it, etc...

Yes, my comment may be somewhat cliche, but it's also very real.  The closure of popular and/or lower-end courses just exacerbates this problem.