Next time you drive past Webb Memorial Golf Course—or tee up a drive there—take a look at how many golfers are on the course and consider this: Every single person carting around a bag of clubs at the course is costing BREC about $12.23 per round.
As Business Report details in a new feature, the seven BREC golf courses in operation last year—including Howell Park, which no longer includes a golf course—brought in just over $3 million in revenue and had about $5.7 million in expenses in 2016. That left overall golf losses at roughly $2.7 million. Of the 109,670 total rounds played on all BREC courses, the loss-per-round comes to $24.44.
The figures come from a breakdown of revenues and expenses at all BREC golf courses last year, which was an especially difficult year due to the August flood. BREC recovered about 53.2% of all golf costs at the seven courses last year. The cost recovery was the lowest at Dumas, at 26%, and was the best at Santa Maria, at 100.5%. Webb fell somewhere in the middle, at 60.6%.
BREC has been making moves to bring down its losses on golf in recent years, including repurposing one course, and introducing alcohol sales and foot golf at others.
“The National Golf Foundation report said BREC was running its golf courses under a parks model, as opposed to a business model, and they were maintaining them kind of like you maintain parks,” says BREC Golf Director Mike Raby. “Since I came we’ve been maintaining them like you maintain a business. Proper mowing. Upgrading equipment. Better maintenance. We’re not there yet but we feel very positive. We’re a ways away from self-sustaining but that’s my long-term goal.”
Check out the complete breakdown of the figures. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
