To get this back on track so you don't embarrass yourself anymore....I think you need to look at the simple economics.
There are probably a few courses that could possibly go from a 3 to a 5 but since you're talking specifics and not which of these hypothetical courses could actually do it the real question is why. If you're figuring a $1.5 million renovation, that's more like $2 million cash for a 15 year loan. That's an additional $132,000 per year in revenue they'd need to bring in. At $40 a round, that's roughly 3500 rounds per year just to pay off the loan. If we're talking a course that's doing ok, they're probably somewhere near 20,000 rounds per year already, so you're talking an increase of 15%. What happens to pace of play? What happens to your regular customers when they can't get their regular tee time? How does that stress the maintenance budget? What happens when people get tired of the renovation because 10 years in there's nothing new about it, it's just another above average course?
Now, changing mowing lines, cutting trees, expanding greens. That's a more economical discussion but that won't change a course from a 3 to 5 and it sure as hell wouldn't bring in 15% more play.
Josh,
What I don't understand, but I'm not surprised is why you even care to post on this thread? You are more interested in playing destination golf and high end private joints. Have you lived anywhere other then Indy area? If not I wouldn't be surprised for you having an outlook and stating
real question is why. Since you have a lot of high quality public golf options in Indy I'm not surprised by your outlook. We do 30,000 rounds at my home course and pace of play is just fine, it's more culture related. The course earlier in the thread has 100 members, which could easily get to 200-250 imo. The more season pass/members the more ability the owner has to raise the fees on the non committed golfer looking for better conditioned course and a weekend time. The whole theory that thoroughbreds should be maintained well is kinda of the analogy I'm making. Courses that are 3's that have really good features and are just humming along at $25 is a shame IMO. I know that isn't of top priority in your mind. I'm not saying its a thoroughbred, it is just far from its full potential.
I'm hoping that Tom will chime in, but he probably can't give the common ground numbers. The regular guy you mentioned in your post who plays would often would purchase a yearly season pass and get his same weekly time. The loan would have to be more in the 2% range and or multiple investors throwing in with no loan.
10 years nothing new about the renovation That makes absolutely no sense at all.
Please explain to us how you are going to expand a green when a sprinkler head would be on the putting surface after it's expanded? If the average sprinkler system can last 50 years with minor repairs from time to time. What is a public joint going to do when it comes time to replace the whole system and that price tag is $1.1 million now? Adding width (changing mowing lines) and tree removal will help the turf at least we agree on that. What is embarrassing is the constant obsession with top 100 golf on this site and people opining that have no real world experience or don't care about the subject matter. This thread is for the few on here that are looking for free flow of ideas, forward thinking, and looking at poor and success models as way to move forward and improve ones community.