Golfers continue to play

Published 10:19 pm Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Northwest golfers, for the most part, are a hearty breed. They put up with cold and wind and even a little wet to play the game they love, and they shrug off discouraging rounds with a cheery let’s-try-again-tomorrow attitude.

So when the economy went awry like a badly sliced tee shot, most golfers again dismissed the inconvenience and found ways to keep playing.

That’s why many of Snohomish County’s 16 public courses seem to be on solid footing, despite the economic downturn of recent years, At several courses, rounds and revenues were both up from 2008 to 2009, leaving owners and operators hopeful for an even brighter 2010.

And the reason for the good news, they say, is the determination and spirit of local golfers.

Even during tough economic times, “golfers want to go out and play,” said Rex Fullerton, general manager for Everett’s Legion Memorial and Walter E. Hall golf courses. “Maybe they’re spending less money on some of the extra areas around golf, but they’re still playing.”

“Golf is a way of life for a lot of people,” agreed Dave Castleberry, head pro at Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course. “They kind of attach themselves to that label. They’ll say, ‘I’m a golfer,’ and they’ll continue to golf no matter what happens financially for them.”

Fred Jacobson, director of golf at Snohomish Golf Course and Marysville’s Battle Creek Golf Course, said the encouraging news falls short of “the high-profit years that we had in the late 1980s and the early ’90s. … So there is certainly room for growth.”

Still, he added, “we’re not fat and happy, but we’re happy.”

Many of Snohomish County’s public courses have advantages that allow them to weather a tough economic climate. For instance, most are priced modestly, making them affordable to golfers of almost every budget. Also, many are located near major population areas, making them convenient to large numbers of golfers.

These days, Fullerton said, “it’s probably tougher for golf courses with the $50-plus green fees, or courses that are more difficult to get to.”

And if higher-priced golf courses and those in outlying areas are feeling the pinch, private clubs in the Puget Sound area apparently are, too.

“I’ve talked to some of my friends and fellow pros at private clubs,” Castleberry said, “and not many of them are saying things are fine. … They’re trying every trick in the book to keep members from leaving.”

Still, as much as area golfers want to keep playing, they also want to save a few dollars. Most courses oblige by offering reduced rates for play during non-peak hours, and there are also other discounts, such as savings on seasonal and annual passes.

“People are taking a lot more advantage of those things,” Castleberry said. “Now maybe they’re being a little more economical with their golf.”

Though play during peak hours has stayed fairly constant, he said, “they’re taking advantage of twilight times and early-bird specials. We’ve seen a big increase in those. Before people were like, ‘What’s (an extra) $10?’ But now it seems like they’re trying to save that money.”

“And instead of taking a big trip to go to Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) or somewhere else (for an expensive golf vacation),” Jacobson said, “they’re staying around and playing golf closer to home.

“And overall,” he said, “the value of golf in Snohomish County is good.”

Of course, with the national and local economic outlooks far from rosy, no one is quite sure how the coming months and years will unfold for golf in Snohomish County.

“Probably the best term for it would be cautiously optimistic,” Fullerton said. “I don’t think any one of us knows for sure that we’ve weathered the storm. Because in this business, if you don’t provide a good product with good service and the right price to go with it, things can turn around and go the other direction.

“We’re just delighted with how things have gone,” he said. “But things can change real quick, so we just have to keep working our way through this thing.”