The Community Links Vision: An Alternative for Success
March 01, 2017
by Andy Staples, Owner, Staples Golf Design
America’s Municipalities have been actively searching for ways to improve their golf facilities. Whether it’s the hope an investment will one day show an ROI, or to support golf course staff, or to even appease a small group of avid golfers, the traditional mentality of investing into an asset that loses money is an uphill battle. Many times, the stakeholders over these facilities are faced with providing mission critical services to their communities; not surprisingly the golf course is a lower priority than emergency services, schools, etc.
Our experience with Municipalities however allows us to assert that when a facility has a clear vision supported by sustainable business practices and broad community engagement, the golf course can be one of the highest used and most appreciated assets offered. This, when coupled with golf’s inherent values of healthy living, being outdoors, and lively recreation, allows for visions of a thriving community assets that appeal to 100% of the community; we call this vision Community Links.
Municipal golf began around the turn of the 20th century, when the impacts of the second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) were being felt across America. Park planning visionaries such as Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park in the 1850’s, were advocating for urban greenspaces and their importance in providing quality of life for working class Americans.
As demand for public parks increased, so too did the popularity of a curious new game from Scotland. This novel game of “golf” was played outdoors across large open landscapes, and provided healthy recreation in the same manner as strolling a trail or hillside, while providing a bit of friendly competition. As it were, to promote golf in the same vein of park planning was an easy case to make.
Notably, Municipal roots in golf were focused on providing a service, much like a library or community park; not to make money, but to provide an amenity. As more time passed however, Municipal facilities slowly “lost their way,” and began adopting the Daily Fee facility model of providing the “higher end” experience historically reserved for private clubs, in search of profit. So while the intent of the Daily Fee facility was to make money, the original intent of the Municipal facility was to allow access to the beginner, the casual player, and the budget conscious golfer.
Over the past 25 years, the one area of the golf market originally intended to allow access for everyone further declined, while the “member for the day” facilities increased. Courses became longer and more difficult, daily maintenance expectations increased, and a “one size fits all” mentality began to take hold, along with the ever increasing pressures to perform financially. Currently, this is the model most Municipal facilities find themselves in, and it’s nowhere near as great as the glory days of golf’s boom.
Community Links was created to not only invigorate Municipal golf facilities, but to revitalize lack-luster and struggling communities through the valuable characteristics of the game of golf. Important to note here, is that not all communities are the same, nor all their golf facilities face the same issues. Two examples of non-traditional thinking, would be Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs, NM and the emerging plans for Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo.
Take Rockwind Community Links; it was once a rundown Municipal facility whose lack of golfer participation was largely due its deteriorated condition. Flash forward to 2017, 18 months after its reopening, and Rockwind is a thriving facility with overwhelming appeal toward 100% of its community. Results include increased revenue due to an increase of rounds, an increase of total spending per user, and increased use by non-golfers due to the introduction of a pedestrian/ biking trail, various auxiliary event spaces, and a communal gathering area around a manmade lake.
Second is the still evolving plan for the County of San Luis Obispo’s course, Dairy Creek. This course’s lack of golfer participation can be credited toward a significant reduction in water availability, resulting in less than ideal playing conditions. With the implementation of Community Links Vision however, this future facility is focused on repurposing the property to integrate the golf course into the fabric of the overall park, creating additional revenue sources that reflect the future trends of society as a whole.
The opportunity to innovate for Municipal facilities has never been more warranted than now. In today’s uncertain golf environment, Municipal golf should take the necessary steps to diversify in ways stakeholders haven’t even begun to imagine, creating new, exciting solutions in the process. Through the appropriate assessments and a focus for delivering the highest and best use of the facility for the community at large, increased pride and sound, sustainable business practices will result, and it all begins with a bit of non-traditional thinking.
Learn more about Staple's Community Links vision, read the whitepaper.
See a video case study of Staple's Community Links featured by the USGA.