March turned in a double-digit gain in golf playable hours (GPH) compared to 2008, according to Pellucid Corp.
At the national level, March's GPH were up 14 percent compared to the same period last year. Combined with the January and February weather results, the 1st quarter finished in positive territory up 6 percent vs. Q1 last year. The industry can agree this definitely is a much-needed tailwind for rounds production given the current economic and employment headwinds.
The regional breadth ratio (measured as # of regions up compared against # of regions down) is now positive for the year-to-date (YTD) period at 1.3:1. This is comprised of 14 regions up vs. 11 down with the remaining 20 weather-based regions recording either neutral results (+/-2%) or not yet registering any playable hours.
The Pellucid report suggests that in addition to the overall favorable 1st quarter, golf courses are also getting the benefit of the positive weather spread across several regions vs. significant gains confined to one or two regions.
Among the key rounds-contributing regions across the U.S., the Eastern Seaboard and Florida North continue in unfavorable weather trends while the Mid-Continental and Ohio Valley regions posted solid gains. The remaining key regions of South Florida, Desert West, Southeast Inland and California Coastal have posted neutral weather results YTD.
Looking back at the previously reported February weather results vs. the industry alliance rounds played shows that utilization slipped slightly in February to 48 percent down just over a point vs. the 2008 national annual benchmark.
Breaking this down, the report indicates a 4 percent decline in rounds against only a 2 percent decline in GPH which suggests that weather contributed to the February sluggishness but was not the sole factor.
"The March weather results should definitely help the rounds demand when it's reported," said Pellucid President Jim Koppenhaver. "I fear however that a double-digit increase in rounds is unlikely for the month given history which would suggest that we could potentially have a solid increase in rounds (5-7 percent) and yet see a drop in the key measure of utilization.
"That said, most facility owner/operators will welcome the increase in rounds and revenue vs. year-ago and not lose much sleep over the fact that it was only a fraction of the benefit of benign weather we should've/could've realized."
More detail on the results from national to regional to market and even individual facility level can be obtained through combinations of Pellucid's weather and trend reports.