A Norwalk club has acknowledged the change by stretching the payment plan for membership fees to two years and a New York course that was synonymous with Dinah Shore and great LPGA events in years past advises it”™s time for clubs to make nice.
According to Tim Muessle, general manager and chief operating officer of Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, N.Y., how clubs approach their big picture during the recession will have long-term effects.
“I think that things have changed,” said Muessle. “Clubs have woken up and they have to be more thoughtful about their whole membership picture. Some clubs have to be very aggressive; others just could be friendlier in their membership approach.”
Wykagyl was long associated with top tournaments, but after hosting the HSBC Women”™s Match Play Championship in 2007, the club left the tourney circuit last year to return its newly refurbished holes to the members. No tournament is planned for this year.
Last year, the PGA Tour pulled the plug on Westchester Country Club, in Harrison, N.Y., which had hosted the Barclays Golf Tournament, the opening event of its four-tournament playoffs for the FedEx Cup, reneging in year two on a six-year agreement in favor of a New Jersey course. When the dust settled, it was agreed the tournament would return to Westchester Country Club one year before 2012.
Businesses that still want a piece of the sponsorship pie can buy into the Connecticut PGA platinum, gold and silver sponsorships program, costing $10,000, $5,000 and $3,600 respectively. The platinum level sponsors, so far, are Mohegan Sun, RSM McGladrey, Travelers and USA Hauling and Recycling. None of the sponsors was based in Fairfield.
On the national level, the LPGA Tour dropped four tournaments because of three major sponsors dropping out and the PGA Tour shed three major sponsors, but no events.
A survey by the National Golf Foundation found nearly 50 percent of core golfers have cut back spending because of the recession, but rounds played have fallen only marginally. The National Golf Foundation for the third consecutive year found that course closures are expected to be greater than the openings.
Wykagyl Country Club, general manager of Silvermine Golf Club in Norwalk said other than a few members taking a leave of absence he hasn”™t really been affected by the economic recession.
“What we are doing is we”™re applying our initiation over two years to allow the new members to catch their breath a little bit,” said DeLuca. “We”™ve kept our prices the same. Some of the members have taken a leave of absence, but always have the option to return. You really feel for some of these people.”
DeLuca said he has been approached by corporations to sponsor membership but has declined because it”™s unreasonable impression on other member”™s financial responsibilities to the club, among other reasons.
Muessle said the economic times will pass, but that clubs that are too restrictive to opportunities during this coming season may regret it later on.
“We are incredibly thoughtful about our brand and our image; we”™re a very stable club and we”™re fortunate not to be in dire straits,” said Muessle.
Muessle said that Wykagyl has pursued sponsorship opportunities, though most have been member-to-member in nature.
J. Rodney Loesch, director of golf at Connecticut Golf Club, said his club is actively pursuing bringing in outings and events to raise revenues, though the size and scope of those events are limited for smaller clubs such as his.
Loesch said his club keeps things local and in-house: “We would entertain any golf outing that has to be member-sponsored.”
