The game is alive and well in small town America.
County statistics where I grew up:
Non-farm employment down 6.0% from 2011 to 2012
10.3% unemployment
$33,000 median household income
28,000 population
10.8% of population with a bachelor's degree or higher
26.1% of population below poverty level
I'd be surprised if the 9-hole club has more than 200 members, paying $85/month. I'm guessing they mow the fairways twice a week and might cut the greens every other day. Nobody cares. Except when the pool's open (my first job in 1972 making $40/week) headcount is probably 4 - a club "manager/bookkeeper," bartender, superintendent and helper. Course was in as good a shape as I can remember during my recent visit. No food service and no golf shop. Everybody rides and the cart fleet has long been paid for. No tee times and average round is 1:15.
And you thought you had it good.
If the game's dying, we've inflicted a few wounds ourselves.
Bogeythis.
I loved reading this Michael, reminds me of courses I played growing up. I live in a major metropolitan area, there are few courses like this.
Just basic golf, no fancy clubhouses, no food service, no catering for weddings and the like, what a wonderful thought. We have gotten so away from all that. The last 20 years, lushness and green, amazing palatial clubhouses, designs penal just for the sake of it, etc. Golf became in many places an anchor for residential communities, the game got lost. I think we got carried away with it all. And we never even thought it would ever end, build they will come.
I have played many rounds in the UK, and applaud how low key many of the clubs are, and how they are about golf. Even at some of the really famous venues, it is more about golf and less about the clubhouse, catering, selling homes, etc. I was amazed at how basic some of the facilities are, but they are really not basic at all, quite functional. Because it is about the game first. We forgot about the game first, and got obsessed with all that surrounded the game.