Golf Club Atlas

GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Tim Taylor on August 13, 2009, 07:36:45 AM

Title: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Tim Taylor on August 13, 2009, 07:36:45 AM

The Ballyhack thread got me wondering - how many members does a destination course, especially a really remote one, need to survive?

Sand Hills and Ballyneal spring immediately to mind (the one in the Dakotas too, blanking on the club name).

Tim

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Bruce Leland on August 13, 2009, 07:43:24 AM

Quote from: Tim Taylor on August 13, 2009, 07:36:45 AM

The Ballyhack thread got me wondering - how many members does a destination course, especially a really remote one, need to survive?

Sand Hills and Ballyneal spring immediately to mind (the one in the Dakotas too, blanking on the club name).

Tim

Sutton Bay in Agar, SD.

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Jim Colton on August 13, 2009, 11:37:52 AM

Tim,

  I think they all have different business models.  The Prairie Club is relatively inexpensive and is shooting for a large number of members.  Ballyneal is capping its membership at 130 and will likely remain small and more exclusive.  I'm not sure how many members Sand Hills has, I'd guess 200-250, maybe more.

  Jim

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Tom_Doak on August 13, 2009, 12:56:11 PM

Sand Hills has less than 200 members.

The income stream all depends on how many guests the members bring with them, and whether the club allows a certain amount of unsponsored guests to fill up slow times.

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Sean Leary on August 13, 2009, 01:08:24 PM

It also depends on how much it cost to build...

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Gene Greco on August 13, 2009, 03:38:14 PM

Quote from: Jim Colton on August 13, 2009, 11:37:52 AM

  Ballyneal is capping its membership at 130 and will likely remain small and more exclusive.  I'm not sure how many members Sand Hills has, I'd guess 200-250, maybe more.
  Jim

Lets rephrase that blather you posted above.

Ballyneal is now open for its third full season.  And the membership hasn't been filled as of yet.

The membership at Sand Hills voted to CAP its membership at 167 TWELVE years ago, two years after it opened with hundreds still interested in joining. Hundreds are still interested in joining.

SEMANTICS.

FACTS.

THEY ARE IMPORTANT.

(My deepest apologies to those BN members who I know, respect and whose company I thoroughly enjoy).

 

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Craig Van Egmond on August 13, 2009, 03:41:57 PM

Holy Cow Gene,

   I had no idea there were only 167 members of Sand Hills! Those are 167 lucky people. Wow! 

Title: Re: "Destination" clubs
Post by: Jim Colton on August 13, 2009, 03:46:29 PM

Quote from: Gene Greco on August 13, 2009, 03:38:14 PM

Lets rephrase that blather you posted above.

Ballyneal is now open for its third full season.  And the membership hasn't been filled as of yet.

The membership at Sand Hills voted to CAP its membership at 167 TWELVE years ago, two years after it opened with hundreds still interested in joining. Hundreds are still interested in joining.

SEMANTICS.

FACTS.

THEY ARE IMPORTANT.

(My deepest apologies to those BN members who I know, respect and whose company I thoroughly enjoy).

  

Gene, apologies for misjudging the number.  That was a figure I got from someone who I trusted knew the right number.  Obviously, they were wrong and so was I.

Ballyneal is capping its membership at 130 as announced recently and is somewhere around 105 right now.