Are There Too Many Golf Courses?

Now that The Masters is over I have to tell you, I am all golfed out. Honestly, I may have watched about a half-hour, in total, of the tournament. But between all of the coverage on ESPN and various other sports networks and news shows, specifically the Tiger coverage, I feel like I was in the galleries all four days! I don't think I can watch another five minutes of a tournament for the rest of the year!

However, that does not curb my desire to get back out onto the many courses which my home state of Connecticut has to offer. But a couple of stories in my local news lately have me wondering...are there too many golf courses?

The obvious answer for one who loves to golf, especially those of us who enjoy playing different courses all the time, is "not a chance." How can you have too many golf courses? After all, the old saying "variety is the spice of life" indeed equates to your golf life also. Maybe the more appropriate question wouldn't be to ask if there are too many golf courses, but instead to ask, is a new golf course really necessary? Or, is there a better use for that land?

In my current hometown, a town of about 45,000, we currently have two nine-hole courses. Recently, the idea to use a piece of undeveloped public land to build another nine-hole course, was proposed by a local developer. The Economic Development Committee approved the proposal, but many spoke out at a recent Common Council meeting. In favor of the course were some local business owners hoping the course brings more people into the city. However, many spoke out against the course. Some concerns were tax and rent payments (or lack thereof), privatization of public land, outside investors and the plan meeting environmental standards. However, one major concern asked, what if the course fails? You are left with nothing more than carved up land, which would make later development more challenging, and the city expected to foot the bill. One can see where the concern would be.

My personal opinion? There are already two nine-hole courses in town. Additionally, there are four eighteen-hole courses within ten miles. Is another nine-holer necessary? As for bringing people into the city, how many golfers regularly travel to other towns to play nine-holes, especially when the surrounding towns have eighteen-hole courses? Add to that the fact there are already two nine-hole courses in this town, then how much more business is the course actually going to generate?

This reminds me a bit of a situation from the town in which I used to live. My former hometown, population of about 60,000, was home to one eighteen and two nine-hole courses. But when the idea to build a new middle school on the grounds of one of the nine-hole courses was proposed, it was met with some hostility. The course in question was, to put it lightly, a bombed-out disaster of a mortar range which I had the displeasure of playing exactly once and swore to myself to never play again. It was in fact, with no exaggeration, that bad.

But, the course was very popular with the senior crowd. It was flat, wide open and an easy course to walk if you chose. And not too mention, cheap. Due to its low (if any) maintenance costs and the popularity with seniors and first-timers, I'm sure the course made some money for the town. But the question actually was: what's more important, keeping this crappy course around to satisfy a few people who have other options, or building a new, better, safer school, in a better, safer neighborhood for 1,200 students year-in and year-out?

To me, the answer here seems obvious - kill the course. But I guess there are some of us who believe the future of our children isn't as important as having to spend an extra six bucks to play a different nine-hole course.

Now don't get me wrong, being a golfer, I'm always looking forward to a new course and feel a new course is usually a great idea. But, we also have to consider the cost. Be it a risky investment at the cost of the taxpayer, environmental issues or the future of our young students. All of these issues, and then some, have to be addressed before we can truly learn the value of a golf course.

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