During a press conference at the Golf Industry Show, American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) President Bruce Charlton, along with secretary Rick Phelps, reflected on the state of the golf economy, noting that the global recession has led to a slowdown in some development projects although a number of golf course developers and owners see now as a good time to act on projects or at least plan for them.
“Many of my clients see the value of being ahead of the curve on their renovation projects,” said Charlton, president and chief design officer of Robert Trent Jones II in Palo Alto, Calif. “Labor, components and energy are all down in price and up in availability so clubs are proactively thinking about how they might capitalize on these conditions.”
Phelps, the Colorado-based principal of Phelps/Atkinson Golf Design, added that the credit crunch is beginning to thaw, and there are other creative ways to pay for renovation work.
“There are clubs that have members and staff who are looking at a combination of methods to pay for projects, such as tax benefits, no-interest loans from members and leases,” he said. “At the very least, both public and private facilities are looking toward the future by preparing long range improvement plans. These plans may be implemented immediately or phased in over a number of years, but in either case, the owners are putting themselves into a position to be as attractive as possible to new players and members once the economy starts to rebound.”
Outside of North America, leaders said that the long-term international golf development outlook remains solid, despite the negative impact of today’s recession. Many countries, from Asia and Eastern Europe to South America and the Middle East, are looking to golf to provide recreation opportunities for their citizens and to attract tourism.
“The environmental benefits of golf are readily being recognized around the globe, thereby furthering the growth and understanding of the game as a sustainable ecosystem that provides many benefits to a community,” Charlton said.