Doug Carrick, ASGCA

It's a question that many are asking: How can private clubs weather the current economic storm?

While I can't claim to have a single answer that will lead clubs to make all the difference, I can offer the perspective of a club member and a golf course architect. Some changes in approach and understanding of the lifestyle differences today's golfers have as compared to those in the past can make a difference in attracting and keeping golf members.

One suggestion I have for decision-makers would be to reduce a club's entrance fee. The club I belong to cut its entrance fee in half for a set amount of time, and it offered trial memberships for a year. The result was a gain of 60-70 new members in a year.

Some clubs put their entrance fees into capital reserves. While such reserves would grow more if new members all paid the full entrance fee, the addition of so many new members into the dues pool can put clubs on much more solid footing. In the end, having a fuller membership is what keeps clubs fiscally healthy, as dues-paying members spend more in the pro shop and on social activities, and bring in more guest income.

Hole 14, The Carrick on Loch Lomond, Scotland

Offering trial memberships can also bring more income-and potential members-in the door, as many of the trial memberships will develop into regular golf memberships. Club owners will also find that current members of their club will understand and endorse such a plan, as it contributes to the growth of full membership numbers.

Another suggestion I offer to clubs as a potential way to endure tough economic conditions is to consider selling land, reconfiguring courses, or relocating courses. This option isn't feasible for all clubs, and does require a mindset shift, but it can make the difference between staying in business and slowly going out of business.

When a club is located on prime real estate, it may consider rethinking its use of the land. Rather than making a course longer and thereby appeal to a small percentage of golfers who need the added length, perhaps a course can be made shorter, or re-routed to include three- or six-hole loops. A course that plays in three hours may appeal to golfers with families, who are introducing children to the game and would like to play more often, or to golfers with demanding work obligations. If these scenarios are attractive to a club's demographics, a club might also want to re-think its land use in such a way that it is able to sell of some of the land it owns and fund the changes to its course.

If the membership of a club is interested in expansion activities, such as lengthening the course or adding a practice facility, a club might consider selling the land it currently sits on to buy a new parcel of land and start over. Such expansion activities should be priorities for members of the club, and members will have to come together on a concept, but with careful planning and surveying of members' needs and desires, a move can be a viable and profitable option.

Some may see today's economic and demographic situation and feel that "desperate times call for desperate measures." While such a viewpoint is one way to look at it, I prefer to see today's challenges as opportunities for clubs to make positive changes that will bring them into the next several decades on more solid ground.

The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) is excited to share the ideas and thoughts of our various Board of Governors representatives, both past and current.

ASGCA has several resources for clubs thinking about remodeling, including a Q & A series about remodeling, selecting a golf course architect, and the master planning and development processes. It also released a DVD, "Excellence Restored: A Guide to Golf Course Remodeling," in conjuction with the Club Managers Association of America, which walks through the remodeling process, including tips for financing the project. These resources and more are available here.

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