The golf and bowling demise. Why you see fewer and fewer golf courses year after year is there are fewer golfers than there were 25 to 30 years ago. Golf hasn't hit bottom yet. All the courses that were built were to accommodate the golfers of 30 years ago. Golf won't bottom until the 65-and-older group runs through. So courses are closing all over the country because there just aren't as many golfers. There are many more courses that will close in the next 10 years or so.
I had one morning group three years ago that had seven golfers that played every morning. Due to death and poor health, that group has only one left. He joined another diminishing group. In six years I have lost so many golfers to death and health, it's so sad to lose them.
The younger generation plays golf but just doesn't play it as often as the older generations did. A big part of that is they work so much. When you’re working 60 hours a week, you don't have time for golf. When Stonehenge was built there was more than twice the golf rounds that were played as today.
I hear people blame Stonehenge management for its struggles. That's bull. Golf courses are money pits. They need a lot of golfers to keep fed. Stonehenge's management did a wonderful job keeping the course playable the last 15 years. With fewer and fewer golfers every year, there just wasn't enough revenue to fix the long-term problems such as the clubhouse, sprinkler system, cart paths, underpasses, pool, drain tiles, equipment, carts, parking lot, etc. You’re looking at $2 million to $3 million just to keep up with the near-term improvement that will have to be done. Where are you going to get the golfers to pay for it?
I grew up on Rozella Ford. I love the course. I was retired. I wanted to save it, as it was bankrupt. Rozella wasn't quite gone as far as its long-term condition. My family and I have killed ourselves trying to save it. We don't pay ourselves; rather, take that money and put back into the course. Rozella didn't have the long-term requirements as Stonehenge, so I knew it was possible.
So when I hear people say Stonehenge went down because of management, I will stick up for them. So many people know everything. I will say to you people, go buy it. See if you enjoy feeding the money pit. You can buy Rozella too.
