At times, Golf Course Owner Guy has been guilty of bashing GOLF in America. At least, I’m not bashing America in general. While the Great Recession of 2008 was not helpful, golf wasn’t / isn’t dying. In fact, the entire industry would do well to remain cognizant of these convenient pre-pandemic truths.
American Positives
1) Golf contributes $68.8 billion and nearly 2 million jobs to the American economy. Think of that stat. There are 331 million people in the U.S., 2 million work in golf. 70 some work here. That’s pretty cool!
2) Golf generates $3.9 billion annually for philanthropic causes. I know we do lots of things here that raise tons of money of different organizations. Pretty neat knowing we have a hand in philanthropic success stories.
3) Golf courses are responsible uses of green space, providing wildlife habitat, a filter for runoff, and a cooling effect on developed areas. When you step out of the house, the temp feels good. Then you drive to RSPGL and you freeze, now you know how good we are for cooling the environment.
4) Playing 18 holes burns roughly 2,000 calories when walking and 1,300 calories when riding in a cart. Our walk is a bit longer in some spots, and we have 19 holes. If you need to get skinny, can you name a better course?
5) Nine out of 10 golfers play at public access facilities just like RSPGL. The median cost of a “round” at these facilities is $34. We are charging median price, yet I would bet we are a hair better than median conditions, that equals a great value.
Though in a pandemic, golf has been surging. Maybe it wont be as dominant as it has been the last 12 months, but its still a wonderful sport, a healthy endeavor and huge part of America’s success. Enjoy your holiday!