By News Channel 11

Published: July 20, 2009

By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE The local golf courses have been more wide open lately.

Fewer players are being seen each day teeing off, even at those acclaimed courses known for their elaborate designs and landscapes.

The economy has made even the most avid golfers curtail their time on the greens.

Those northern residents who own vacation homes in the area for the purpose of playing golf are looking to sell those properties because they can no longer afford two houses.

Those who play golf five days per week are being seen two or three times per week. They don’t want to keep going to golf shops to buy more balls and tees.

Vacationers who typically spend 10 or more days playing at The Dunes or World Woods are only staying for half the time compared to years past.

Those are just some of the observations from local golf course managers.

“You can see people who normally come in are not coming in as frequently,“ said Scott Wyckoff, the head golf professional at World Woods Golf Club in Weeki Wachee. “People need to have an out during these tough times. You might see them cut back on their golf, but they don’t necessarily cut it out.“

Last month, Spring Hill Golf and Country Club and Seven Hills Golfers Club shut down due to financial troubles.

Eighteen months earlier, Whispering Oaks Golf Course in Ridge Manor also closed.

Golf courses aren’t the only ones hurting. Retailers have noticed a sales slide also.

Callaway, one of the leading golf club makers in the world, announced Thursday its second-quarter earnings were well below 2008 levels. Consumer spending has not bounced back.

Chris Pursell, co-owner at Golf Etc. in Brooksville, has noticed it also.

“Customers are worried about spending money right now,“ he said. “They have that nervous feeling.“

He, like many other golf shop owners, keeps his customers informed on the local courses. They fill him in also on what goes on at the private clubs. Mostly all of them have noticed fewer people, he said.

Car owners have been more inclined to fix their cars these days than to buy a new one. The same applies to golfers, who want to repair and reshape their existing equipment rather than splurge for a new set of irons and woods.

“Our business has dropped down some, but we’re seeing more repairs,“ Pursell said. “They come in to get their irons reshafted rather than pay for new ones.“

It is difficult to gauge business during the summer because the snowbirds have left and most people avoid the greens whenever there is the threat of rain.

The heavy rains earlier in the week kept the golfers away from Hernando Oaks Golf and Country Club, said manager Jim Hasner.

“Considering the times, we’ve been stable,“ he said. “It didn’t rain (Thursday) or (Friday), but the six days before that we got 7 inches,“ he said. “We felt things were getting stable before the rain.“

Golf courses also are taking a page from the restaurant industry. As a means to lure more customers, they are offering unprecedented discounts.

Hernando Oaks will offer a three-month trial membership in the fourth quarter. Hasner hopes it will boost memberships heading into 2010, at a time when the economy is expected to begin its slow recovery.

“We’re going to try to fill some dents with golfer putty,“ he said.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or .