Many golf courses are still closed, or only partially open, after Hurricane Frances snapped trees, blew holes in clubhouse roofs and caused a general state of disarray in golf-rich Palm Beach County.
And that's after the storm wiped away the lucrative Labor Day weekend, which golf experts said is usually a financial boon after a sluggish South Florida summer.
"Boy, we took a whipping," said Don Hager, head professional at The Links at Boynton Beach. "We've been working our tails off to get this course open. I'd be pleased as punch if we were open in a week, and even that's stretching it."
Hager said he's bracing for virtually no profit in September, compared to $64,000 last year.
Statewide, Hurricanes Frances and Charley cost the golf industry at least $10 million in revenue, said Jim Demick, executive director of the Florida Golf Association.
In Palm Beach County, Florida's golf capital, courses were struggling this week to reopen.
Lake Worth Municipal Golf Club, on the Intracoastal Waterway, already has spent $30,000 to clear debris and splintered trees. What's worse, the course still only has nine of 18 holes open -- and that's after losing the 800 golfers expected over the Labor Day holiday.
"It was the worst possible weekend," director of golf Tim Hepler said. As for the nine holes that are open, he said, "We still haven't seen the customers return. Who knows? It might be a week or two -- after the week we lost -- before the customers return. They're all at their houses trying to get straightened up."
The Boca Raton Golf Course lost about $75,000 over the holiday weekend, manager Greg Jerolaman said. He estimated 1,200 customers would have shelled out up to $34 apiece to play on Boca's three municipal courses. All three courses were opened by Thursday.
Overall, Frances' timing was bittersweet for the golf industry, experts said. It halted the summer's busiest weekend. But September is far from peak golf time in Florida, which usually is around February.
"If it had to happen, this is probably a decent time," Demick said. "August and September are probably the low points for most courses in Florida."
Demick said private country clubs are better positioned to weather the storm financially, since they don't rely on daily customers.
"At private country clubs like ours, where there's 500 members, people have paid their dues," said Kevin Murphy, director of golf at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, which has opened one of its two 18-hole courses.
At public courses, Frances' financial impact was acute.
PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens was expecting about 4,000 golfers at its five courses over the Labor Day weekend, general manager Tim Hanno said.
Golfers would have paid $100 to $150 per round, plus the cost to stay in the resort's hotel.
Instead, PGA National boarded up its buildings and watched trees snap like twigs. So far, only the Champion Course has reopened.
Abacoa Golf Course in Jupiter lost 133 trees, 500 bushes and the 500 golfers who would have paid $45 each to play over Labor Day, owner Robbie Dew said.
But Abacoa skirted major damage and reopened two days after Frances blew through. The course, Dew said, averaged a brisk 230 golfers the week after the storm.
"They all had cabin fever, and we were the only course open," he said.
The Delray Beach Golf Club expected 700 golfers at $25 each over the holiday. That weekend was for naught, and business has been slow since the course opened a week ago, director of golf Bill Kriews said.
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
