[Ball] Golf Clubs Suffer in Recession

Interesting article: http://bit.ly/bYlGsz

Chime in there guys, and let those golfers know about disc golf. This is a chance to be seen by tons of unhappy ball golfers.

[Disc Player Sports]

They are losing their balls.
During the depression 'golf' was cheap.
Look at it now, how ironic.

[ROBEY the one.]

I think the is a lesson there for up and coming pay to play courses.

[mr ed]

The ending sentence.."golf has to think out of the box.."says it nicely.Adding baskets to bgc would be that step to get them out of the "rough".Now is the time for all able body dg'ers to come to the aid of the Disc Golf Movement.Will the PDGA step forward in this time of need and offer the solution.

[Disc Player Sports]

Where does the money come from?

[Ryan S. Flahive]

As a lifelong golfer, it saddens me to see these beautiful properties foreclosed upon, but if that's what the market determines, so be it. The bubble in the 90s made the clubs very sucessful but not affordable for the average golfer and now they are paying for it

I hope this will move more money into improving public (and cheaper) golf courses so that the game can be enjoyed by a larger % of the population.

As for disc golf, its still a fringe 'sport' and will be until sponsorships and major media coverage become a reality.

The vast majority of 'Unhappy ball golfers' won't switch to disc golf--as the article stated, there is a generational gap that has to be bridged. Fortunately for disc golf, its the younger generations that will grow the sport--to expect a 55 year old golfer to switch to disc golf after decades of hitting the links is simply unreasonable. But the future is ours--particularly if the golf community and business continue to demand high green fees from players.

And Mr. Ed is 100% correct--the PDGA must step up and put more money into PR campaigns through major media outlets if we expect to gain anything from this opportunity.

[Disc Player Sports]

Where does the PDGA get the money?

[Ryan S. Flahive]

good question...you and I and our mates would be my first guess--but I would think that mainstream sponsorships (Verizon, Michelin, Sears, ect.) must be established to provide the kind of funding necessary...and that will be difficult to do with our fringe 'sport'...

[mr ed]

reps in any buisness do represent one's company.elected people who represent the pdga should try to"sell" our product/game to the mainstream sport of golf.why not attempt to have a solution for bgc and their slacking game.Pick your bgc with heavy use that has/is failing with membership.the small ground movement might just get the "disc" rolling.offering tourneys to be played at bgc's could/would help.doing nothing but talking/wishing among ourselves stymies the advance to be mainsteam.not all bg'ers /bgc will be interested,starting at your local bgc that is hurting financially can/will be the start of that rolling disc perhaps.jm2 cents

[Ryan S. Flahive]

and a very good 2 cents indeed...but knowing what it takes to keep a golf course up and running for just one day tells me that the cost benefits of a disc golf tournament on a golf course won't justify the cost of keeping the property open...but perhaps the good people who run the Japan Open might have a suggestion--that tourney was played on a Robert Trent Jones Jr. Property--a precedent must be set in the States...

[Destraayer]

Very interesting article, I have to say. I had a sinking feeling that 'ball golf', as a whole, has been shrinking do to some local course facing foreclosure, but now I see my feelings have been confirmed. It also puts a different kind of perspective on disc golf. Right now, we have been enjoying the steady rate of growth our sport has been going through, but do we really want to see it get to this level? We all cry and moan when a local course gets pulled due to vandalism and other illegal activities, but I can't imagine disc golf taking a hit do to high expenses, generation gaps and time constraints. I support the 'pay to play' option fully, but perhaps it is the grass roots aspect of disc golf that attracted me so much in the first place. But at least I can say this for now "Thank God I don't feel their pain."

[Joe Graham]

Fly18 should be all over this like a fly on a garbage truck!!!!!!!!!!

[Disc Player Sports]

All non-realistic disc golf millionaires should pool together resources and by all the bankrupt golf courses.....

HA hahahahahahhaahahahahahahaha :)!
Good luck with the dream.