"Rounds per year at the Old Course?"
Is this really an important question or not regards GCA – for me the answer is very simple – a great big YES. It reflects upon everything related to golf, not just at St Andrews but world wide, to the point that 5-6 hours rounds are regarded in certain part of the world as normal. When calculating revenue from non members this time scale can put a big dent into projected revenue for the year not to mention profitability of the course in question.
So how many rounds are need and is this a new problem. Again, the answer is simple – No it’s not new, it has always been a problem from the time golf became a popular game with the general public. It’s thanks to monitoring the rounds that has given us The New Course, The Jubilee, Eden etc (and most regrettable IMHO the Castle Course).
Congestion is the real name of the game. Yes, we can blame just about anything we want, but I believe it stems from the Professionals. If they are not required to show CONSIDERATION for their fellow players (or the spectators both on course & at home watching on TV), then the public see it as acceptable and start to mimic this behaviour. Of course it is not all at the feet of the Pros but they set the standard today and are meant to be Ambassadors for our Game to the rest of the world, alas many fail dismally.
I am not going to signal anyone item out, but I believe that carts have an impact but for me the greatest inconvenience is the necessity by what has become the majority of Golfers today to worship at the alter of Distance/Yardage information. Most know of my sincerely held opinion so will not go into any detail on that, well not on this thread. However before I leave this I would like to ask a question – you are driving your car at say 40mph and will be asked to break hard to a stop – how many here can say to within a yard or two where they will come to a dead stop. I would guess not many, so if you can’t judge distance when lives are potentially at risk why keep up the pretence of need yardage input.
Getting back to the point of how many rounds one can expect out of a course in a good day is important, if we are looking at potential revenue, but as I said this is not a new problem and as an example I attach an article about congestion at St Andrews at the turn of the 20th Century when there were three course servicing the town. Numbers have been noted over all three courses which might be an interest to some of you.
Good question Jeff as I believe it is just the tip of the proverbial Iceberg.
Melvyn