Lou . . Lou ...Lou
Good to see you are following through on the idea of taking these things less seriously.
I agree bunker maintenence costs are not the biggest problem with the industry and that economic and societal issues have a much greater impact. Nonetheless, this is a GCA board so I think it is a good topic.
As to your political views, you are of course 75% wrong (other than the supply side piece) but I will need to explain that to you when I return in October.
Jason, my boy, having taken to heart the Serenity Prayer (God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.), I am trying to be much less serious. Thus, I have long stopped trying to explain or convince those who can't be. Having been trained in psychology, I understand being personally invested in an ideal, a sense of who one is (good, caring, generous, smart, etc.) and the nearly impenetrable defense mechanisms built to protect it. So, next time, just like the last one, we'll talk about all the trivial niceties of golf courses, families (not trivial at all), travel, etc.
But given that you agree that I am right about the supply side- which is the main point of my response to Jon- how can I be 75% wrong? Put politics aside, can it be argued that less disposable income impacts the amount of golf people play? Or are you suggesting that golf is an inferior good? How about Boomers earning 0% on their fixed income investments with prospects of higher taxes and medical costs? You think that this might have an impact on the demand side? You might remember that the large supply shortages predicted by the NGF were predicated on this segment being loaded with time and money. But let's not allow politics to get in the middle of why golf is hurting Let's instead contemplate whether "perfect" bunkers is A cause.
BTW, I am a decent bunker player who has access to a better than average group of courses. My up-and-down percentages for the last three years, starting with 2013, are: 26.5, 25.0, 20.4, respectively.
Jeff Brauer,
Your last post is very insightful. Who knew that even in golf, the customer (as opposed to the architect or the critic) is king.