Calgary-area golf courses hoping to extend season
Posted Aug 24, 2015 11:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The summer may be winding down but Calgary and area golf courses are hoping the weather co-operates and people will be chasing the little white ball well into autumn.
It’s been a tough year for corporate events.
David Robinson with Silverwing Links and Boulder Creek tells 660 NEWS, the slump in oil translated to fewer businesses booking tournaments.
“We’ve had to really think outside the box and come up with some specials, and some ideas to attract people that would be, maybe, smaller groups or just regular green-fee specials that would appeal to people that maybe didn’t have some of the funds that they had before,” Robinson said.
The Alberta Director for the National Golf Course Owners Association says companies are shying away from the optics of a golf event after laying off staff; and corporate events that are going ahead, are usually scaled back.
Robinson agrees. “This year we’ve definitely seen a big decline there, particularly with large events,” he said. “A lot of the large, 144-player tournaments have had to cancel based on economic conditions.”
On a positive note, the slower economy means some people have more time to tee it up, and the number of people booking a round is on the rise.
While the downswing in the economy is starting to hurt golf courses in the Calgary area, the nice weather, at least, has been a help.
