Industry news

Weather turns more favorable in third quarter
Buffalo Grove, Ill. – Pellucid Corp. provided the first of its monthly tracking reports about golf playable hours for the United States compared with the number of rounds played in August, which was released by Golf Datatech. At the close of the first half of the year, the GPH measure for the United States declined 1.8 percent compared to Golf Datatech’s report of a similar decline of rounds played of 1.3 percent for the same period. Both periods are in comparison to the first half of 2004. This meant through the first six months of the year, rounds played was slightly outperforming the variance in weather relating to golf. A favorable July and August for GPH has moved the comparative ’05 weather into positive territory for the year-to-date period (0.7 percent) while rounds played made only marginal progress toward positive territory and remains negative (-0.6 percent) through August, according to Golf Datatech.

“What’s interesting is for all the variance at the regional level on GPH and rounds played, the net effect at the U.S. level is a relatively tight range of plus or minus 2 percent in sum,” says Jim Koppenhaver, president of Pellucid. “This provides discussion fodder for the industry optimists (it’s not getting significantly worse) as well as the pessimists (we’re not gaining any ground).
“September weather results show that the year-to-date favorable variance of GPH will increase further to 1.3 percent,” Koppenhaver adds. “It will be interesting to see if the rounds played are able to break into positive territory.”

The regional weather impact tracking report was launched by Pellucid to provide monthly tracking of weather variance in 24 regions, as well as a comparison at the national level to changes of rounds played.

USGA announces new changes to Rules of Golf
Far Hills, N.J. – The U.S. Golf Association and The Royal & Ancient, golf’s governing bodies, announced 111 changes to the book “Decisions on the Rules of Golf,” published every two years and effective for all golfers starting Jan. 1, 2006. The 2006-07 decisions book includes 37 new decisions and 66 revised decisions, while eight decisions have been withdrawn. The book contains more than 1,200 individual decisions, which are laid out in question-and-answer format.

A noteworthy change is the governing bodies’ sanction of the use of distance measuring devices, including GPS-based systems and laser range finders. New decision 14-3/0.5 allows a committee to permit the use of distance-measuring devices by local rule. This applies to devices that measure distance only, not any other conditions that might affect a player’s play. In the absence of such a local rule, the use of a distance-measuring device remains contrary to the rules.

The book also gives a committee the ability to help the player who has signed for the correct score, but another player’s scorecard. Such an error can be corrected without penalty. Revised decision 6-6d/4 gives a committee the authority to strike the wrong name from an otherwise correctly completed score card without a time limit.

Rules decisions now available for handhelds
Far Hills, N.J. – The U.S. Golf Association introduced PCDecisions, a new software product that provides the Rules of Golf as well as decisions about the Rules of Golf via pocket computers, handheld devices, desktops and laptops.

Rulesguide, a software development company, created the program for the USGA and is the association’s authorized distributor of the product. The quickly accessible information is suppose to help speed up play.

Versions of PCDecisions are available via download or CD-ROM for Windows desktop/laptop PCs and PDAs. Each format is priced at $23 per download and $29 per CD-ROM. The initial purchase of the 2004-05 edition of PCDecisions includes a free automatic update for the 2006-07 edition, upon availability early in 2006.

Golf sales increase at public courses
Jackson, Miss. – Fiscal year 2005 sales (July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005) at Mississippi public golf courses increased 48.2 percent more than fiscal year 2004, according to the Mississippi Development Authority Division of Tourism.

Attractions contributing to Mississippi’s growing popularity as a golf-and-travel destination include more than 150 courses offering different price points and design varieties in five distinct regions. Highly regarded golf course architects and designers are well represented in Mississippi, including Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Jerry Pate, Bob Cupp, Arthur Hills and Hale Irwin.

Courses sustain minimal damage from hurricane
Jackson, Miss. – Although it hasn’t finalized the process of assessing the impact of Hurricane Katrina, there appears to be minimal damage to the golf course properties outside the state’s Gulf Coast region based on extensive reports, according to the Mississippi Development Authority Division of Tourism. Furthermore, several of the coastal golf courses – Davis Love III-designed Shell Landing and Mississippi National, for example – could open as soon as this month.

“We are still assessing the vast impact of Katrina, and there appears to be good news beyond the coast with no significant structural damage to most of our courses,” says D. Craig Ray, MDA Tourism Division director. “We anticipate those that have not already opened will do so very soon. The Gulf Coast will take longer to recover, of course, but some of the courses will reopen soon there.”

Hundreds of golf rounds have been booked, including many moved from the Gulf Coast golf courses, resorts and casinos, in the state’s other four regions since Katrina hit the region.

New company will support design firm
Fair Haven, N.J. – McNeil Construction LLC was established by Robert McNeil, golf course architect and president of The Northeast Golf Co., a golf course design firm, to support the firm’s work. McNeil Construction offers construction management and specialty feature shaping.

McNeil Construction is helping provide construction management and design coordination for the new Jack Frost National Golf Club at Boulder Creek in The Pocono’s, which is an 18-hole resort facility in Blakeslee, Pa. The company recently completed renovation projects at Battleground Country Club in Manalapan, N.J.; Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Mass.; Fairmount Country Club in Chatham, N.J.; and Rutgers University Golf Course in Piscataway, N.J.

The Northeast Golf Co. recently completed a two-hole renovation at Pleasant Valley. Hole 4 was widened, and strategic bunkering and a new pond in front of the green were added. The fifth hole now plays as a short target-style par 4 with new tees and bunkers.

At Battleground Country Club, the company directed the work of Turner Construction and Total Turf and teamed with Jim Basiliere of East Coast Shaping LLC to build five new holes and improve bunkering on six others.

The company also designed the new practice facility at Navesink Country Club in Middletown, N.J. The facility features a 6,000-square-foot practice green, 3,000-square-foot short game green with bunker and fairway areas, multilevel tees for as many as 35 players, a unique approach area offering practice in from 60 to 90 yards and fairway bunker practice area. Pavelec Brothers of Nutley, N.J., constructed the project.

The company also is renovating Darlington (N.J.) Golf Course. The renovation includes all new tees, bunkers,  several new greens, cart paths, drainage and complete irrigation system. Work began in September.