Courses Have Love/Hate Relationship With Weather

John Burgin has a love/hate relationship with the local weatherman. Because, the general manager of The Creeks public golf course in Cave Springs said, if the forecaster is wrong, it can cost him thousands of dollars in lost revenue in one weekend.

“People hear the forecast for rain, and they call and cancel,” Burgin said.

A National Golf Foundation survey found that 35 percent of facilities said weather was a reason for an increase in rounds played and 62 percent cited weather as the reason for a decrease in rounds played. The NGF survey said a total of 495 million rounds of golf were played in 2003, down 1.4 percent from the 502 million rounds tallied in 2002.

Weather this year, however, has so far been kind to local public golf courses. In the second week of August, mowers at The Creeks had to wear jackets because the temperature dipped to 44 degrees in the early morning, Burgin said.

Unseasonably cool weather also brought more people out to the course.

“We are on pace to do 30,000 rounds for 2004,” Burgin said. “We were up 2,800 rounds last year and will probably increase by another 2,000 rounds this year.”

Rounds at the Creeks totaled 27,800 for 2003.

“When it gets hot the last three weeks of July and the first few weeks of August,” Burgin said, “people don’t like to play.”

The number of rounds played, Burgin said, is up at least 10 percent so far over last year. Burgin said the 2003 season also saw a 10 percent increase in rounds, but he attributes most of that to the $100,000 spent in 2002 on course improvements and the play lost during the improvement time.

“Weather does funny things in different regions,” said Scott Bernhardt, senior vice president of operations at Planalytics of Wayne, Penn. The firm monitors weather trends, up to 11 months in advance to help retail clients such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. predict weekly sales.

Bernhardt said there was “considerable weather opportunity” in July and August in Northwest Arkansas due to favorable weather conditions as well as an “easy comp” (comparison to a difficult period last year).

For example, Bernhardt’s data said that the “favorability” for golf in the third week of August this year was up 60 percent over the same week last year and the the two weeks prior showed at least 30 percent increases. The first three weeks in July showed less than a 10 percent increase or decrease in favorability, but the fourth week in July proved a 50 percent increase over the same week last year.

Ryan Grigsby, director of marketing and membership for Big Sugar Golf Club in Pea Ridge, said rounds at his course are up 35 percent over last year. The semi-private course is in its second season.

“On our weekends, we are pretty full,” Grigsby said. “Business hours during the week are our slowest time.”

Big Sugar offers a Tuesday night scramble where players pay a $10 fee that includes a cart and course fees. Grigsby said they’ve drawn up to 64 people for one of those nights.

Jerry Musick, manager of the Razorback Golf Course in Fayetteville said his business is up at least 15 to 20 percent over last year. Like Burgin, he gives both course improvements and weather the credit.

“The course is in much better shape than it’s been in the last 10 years,” Musick said.

Both Grigsby and Burgin attributed some of the rounds increase to the population growth.

“The location of the course gets better and better every day, and we don’t have to move,” Burgin said. “There are 5,000 houses going up within two miles of this golf course.”