Golfweek's #1 Tennessee Public Goes On The Auction Block

[Mike Hendren]

http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/NEWS0201/712190448/1009/NEWS

Future Hillbilly Tour Worldwide Headquarters?  I can hear the dueling banjos now.

[Doug Wright]

Mike,

Why is this concept failing in TN when the neighboring RTJ Trail in ALA with a similar concept seems to be doing fine? Marketing? Geography? Critical mass?

[Mike Hendren]

Doug, several of these courses are relatively remote with little or no nearby lodging/dining.  By comparison, the RTJ courses are generally located near interstate access and significant population concentrations thereby enhancing both weekday and weekend play.  Moreoever, each RTJ location features at least 36 holes, fostering multiple plays per visit with decent accomodations nearby.  Finally, the RTJ Trail is very well marketed versus virtually no budget for the Bear Trace.  

Once the legislators emptied the barrel of the bacon, ham and barbecue, failure was a matter of time.  But hey, no state income tax - at least we've got that going for us.

The golf courses aren't great, but good enough.

Mike

[jeffwarne]

Making a profit on golf has everything to do with what you paid for the property,what it costs to operate the property, location, and demographics of the surrounding area.

The article (which may be biased)seemed to suggest politics may've been a driver in using state money to fund questionable business models in certain districts.

Additionally, Tennessee isn't real appealing to snowbirds as Alabama is(particularly southern Alabama) .

[Mike_Cirba]

I really enjoyed the Bear Trace course at Harrison Bay earlier this year.   I thought it was an ideal design for a state park course.

[Doug Wright]

Doug, several of these courses are relatively remote with little or no nearby lodging/dining.  By comparison, the RTJ courses are generally located near interstate access and significant population concentrations thereby enhancing both weekday and weekend play.  Moreoever, each RTJ location features at least 36 holes, fostering multiple plays per visit with decent accomodations nearby.  Finally, the RTJ Trail is very well marketed versus virtually no budget for the Bear Trace.  

Once the legislators emptied the barrel of the bacon, ham and barbecue, failure was a matter of time.  But hey, no state income tax - at least we've got that going for us.

The golf courses aren't great, but good enough.

Mike

Thanks Mike. Significant differences indeed. If the idea was to make $$$ for the state it was a bad business deal at best.

[Mike Hendren]

Jeff,

Surprisingly, the two southernmost Bear Trace courses are no more than 50 miles north of the two northernmost RTJ Trail locations (Huntsville and Muscle Shoals, which has the Swampers who've been known to pick a song or two - yes they do).  

Marketing would change the perception you rightly mentioned.  

Mike

[Garland Bayley]

"Annual use at the 5-year-old course jumped 40 percent to 14,000 games when prices were lowered about a year ago."

Coincidence? Or, an indication why golf is becoming less common as a recreation venue?

[Lou_Duran]

Put the course near any major population center in the U.S. at those prices ($32-$45) and it would get 40,000+ rounds (probably twice that many is SoCal).  $11 Million to build (w/o including the cost of the donated land) is mind-boggling.  Only government and a non-profit would entertain such a boondogle.  I have to wonder who runs the charity, and whether the original donors are still around to see the fruits of their labor.  For Pete's sake, the course probably doesn't even cover the cost of operations on a cash basis, not to say anything about debt service or contribution to reserves.

Anyone have information regarding the financial performance of the RTJ Trail?  Last I heard, it was a poor investment for the original debt and equity investors (state teachers' retirement fund?), though it was considered good for the communities where the courses were built.

[Andy Troeger]

I've played Stonehenge at Fairfield Glade and Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain both 90 miles west of Knoxville and I really enjoy both courses, they're pretty solid especially for the price, although Stonehenge isn't cheap.

Anybody know anything about a course in that area that I think is re-opening in 2008 under the name Stonebridge National? Jim Fazio did the re-do of a gorgeous mountain course that's actually build up on top of a mountain somewhat. Its really a fun track if not necessarily a GCA monument, but it really was let go for awhile. It used to be called Briarwood, Renegade Mountain, and Cumberland Gardens (or some combination thereof). Maybe it was Briarwood at Cumberland Gardens located on Renegade Mountain  

[Chris Cupit]

"Annual use at the 5-year-old course jumped 40 percent to 14,000 games when prices were lowered about a year ago."

Coincidence? Or, an indication why golf is becoming less common as a recreation venue?

If a public course had a JUMP to 14,000 rounds after 5 years of being in business, its days were numbered

What was the old price?  Again, with 10-14,000 rounds a year, I'm guessing price isn't what killed this place

[Mike Hendren]

Anybody know anything about a course in that area that I think is re-opening in 2008 under the name Stonebridge National? Jim Fazio did the re-do of a gorgeous mountain course that's actually build up on top of a mountain somewhat. Its really a fun track if not necessarily a GCA monument, but it really was let go for awhile. It used to be called Briarwood, Renegade Mountain, and Cumberland Gardens (or some combination thereof). Maybe it was Briarwood at Cumberland Gardens located on Renegade Mountain  

http://renegadenational.com/

Mike