Fee threshold for success of private courses.

[Shallows]

bump

anyone have an answer

Top O'the Hill in Canterbury NH charges $8 a day and from my experience is pretty regularly packed weather permitting.

 

[nothinbuttree]

You know with disc prices going up and more folks throwing special runs/stamps that cost even more, I think the cost of a round may start getting less and less important. Someone bagging $300 worth of plastic in a $100 backpack or $300 cart probably doesn't care as much about $10 to play a really nice, well kept course than 15 years ago, with the $30 bag full of stock $10 Rocs, Sidewinders, and Destroyers, that were real easy to replace if lost. It is entirely possible to that the makeup of players is changing too, with the average income perhaps inching up some. Someone's paying for all this high priced plastic that is always out of stock...

 

[Cgkdisc]

Haven't played that one yet--does that have concrete around the baskets? If not, I am so there--I mean I am so taking my kids there...

It's been a long time since I was there. I don't recall concrete other than the eroded edge around the anchor concrete and the reviews don't indicate concrete as a con. Might want to look at the DGCR listing.

 

[Mando]

Puttlikeablowfly just gave good numbers from Madison, and I think the same is true in Milwaukee, but I haven't seen those numbers in a while. I've had a couple property owners confidentially reveal their numbers to me -- sorry I can't give their names.

I've heard that Blue Ribbon Pines has tons of players, and there are others we can speculate about. The threshold we were discussing recently ($20,000) is not at all a high one. For example, Selah Ranch charges $25/day. If they had players 40 weeks a year, they'd only need to bring in $500 a weekend, which is 20 people. Clearly they do a lot better than that.

So, while I can't give you proof today, I am convinced that there are a good number of courses that bring in much more than $20K a year from greens fees.

I think the boat is leaking, John. For every Selah, there are 10-20 Trey Ranches.

 

[sisyphus]

Haven't played that one yet--does that have concrete around the baskets? If not, I am so there--I mean I am so taking my kids there...

Yep, Blendon Woods was another of the early Ohio Steady Ed courses, where they 'preserved' the erosion around the basket sleeves with a slab of asphalt. So expect the same tees and baskets as Cincinnati's Winton Woods, Miami Whitewater, Embshoff and Woodland Mound.

However, Blendon Woods is a ton of fun: think Winton with more rolling elevation. Of course, you're also real close there to Brent Hambrick, if you want to play a more challenging round while in the area.

 

[nothinbuttree]

Stinks about the concrete but I do have a love for the Steady Ed courses I have already played. Nearly all the holes are actually birdie-able for this aging body, and the kids (even the youngest) can do well at those courses. I have played Woodland Mound, and it was even more packed than Winton usually is. Hambrick is a nice course--played it once, will probably combine with Blendon sometime soon. I think McBeth/Wysocki even played a tourney there a few years back.

Hmmm... shorter courses that are jam packed every time, even with negative features like concrete around baskets, fees to pay (most of these are in metro parks) aging to even decrepit baskets, short worn out teepads, and flight risk to and from other holes in several places. What it seems like the masses want is a course, with baskets, whose green can be reached with a good throw most of the time. I submit the continued popularity of these courses should provide some feedback to those wanting to make money on a DG course. I mean both Columbus and Cincy have a really good assortment of courses, but none I have played ever been that busy, except these courses mentioned above. I mean Idlewild hosts a DGPT stop, and in my 6 visits, has never been remotely busy--though I admit I have only visited on a weekend once.