Quote:
Originally Posted by tophcfa
Dr. Winston, with all due respect, I have not read a post where you complimented the golf course conditions, only complaints. I agree that the conditions are not always ideal, but everything is not always bad either. For the most part, I usually find the golf coursed in reasonably good playing conditions. Perhaps my standard are not the same as yours? Seasonal transitions and green airification are a necessary temporary condition that makes course less than ideal, but I always enjoy golfing none the less. Life is too short to not find the positives in every round of golf we get to play, we are are always a injury or other unfortunate health condition away from not being able to get in the next planned round of golf. A not so good round of golf on less than perfect conditions is way better than not being able to get onto the links. Golf On!
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I posted a very nice comment about Briarwood a while ago. If I see something positive I'll comment on it. So far, these golf courses are in deplorable conditions. It'snot a question of being ideal. Mediocre would be fine.
These so-called championship courses remind me of some of the worst municipal course I played up north.
I hear all the excuses. Heavy play in the winter time, the weather is not cooperating and on and on. I've worked at and played many golf courses in Florida and they all get heavy play in the winter and deal with the same conditions yet they were in very good condition. The condition of these courses is due to one factor. Not spending enough money on them.
I had an assistant manager of one course tell me that the maintenance budget for that course is $52,000. That's completely absurd. I've worked at good 18 hole private clubs where the maintenance budget was $1,000,000 and that was back in the 80s and 90s.
I don't know what the income level is on these courses but if they're only spending $52,000 to maintain 18 or 27 holes they have no idea what they're doing. The money from green fees has to be going somewhere else.
I was also told that the golf course maintenance is controlled by the districts. They have people who know nothing about golf or golf courses holding the purse strings.
I don't know where you've played golf in the past, but if you call these conditions "reasonably good" it seems that you might have played lower end public courses.
These courses are poorly designed, poorly maintained and poorly managed.
They need to get some people that have experience in running golf courses here. And I'm not talking about the managers, professionals or superintendents. I'm sure they are pulling their hair out dealing with this situation.