New Golf Industry Numbers: What do they mean for the game’s future? March 24, 2017 Yesterday, the National Golf Foundation released its annual #’s on golf course supply in the United States. As expected, the […] by Larry Hirsh
Market Analysis – Knowledge is Power! March 20, 2017 Every year about this time, there are numerous stories about the golf industry and how many courses have closed, how […] by Larry Hirsh
Social Progress in Golf? (commentary) March 16, 2017 Less than 2 weeks ago, I wrote about the proposed (progressive) rule changes by the USGA and R & A. […] by Larry Hirsh
Litigation Support Appraisals for Golf & Club Properties March 15, 2017 One of the things we do as appraisers is take continuing education on a regular basis. Recently, I navigated through […] by Larry Hirsh
What’s Your Club Worth & Why Does it Matter? March 10, 2017 I’m often asked by friends and people who learn what I do for a living what their club is worth. […] by Larry Hirsh
Stability vs. Change – Where’s the Balance? March 8, 2017 Recently, we’ve been privileged to work on several assignments that are unfortunately the result of golf facilities that had ceased […] by Larry Hirsh
Finally, A Step Toward the 21st Century March 3, 2017 Just yesterday, many of us read the news that the USGA and R & A have proposed rule changes that […] by Larry Hirsh
GIS & CMAA World Conference February 15, 2017 Last week, I visited Orlando for the Golf Industry Show, NGCOA Conference and CMAA Show. Usually, along with the recent […] by Larry Hirsh
Eulogy – For a Golf Course February 3, 2017 We’ve all become way too familiar with news of a golf course closure. Though inevitable, I learned this morning of […] by Larry Hirsh
PGA Show Wrap-up January 31, 2017 Last week, like many other golf industry folks, I made the trek Orlando for the annual PGA Merchandise Show. The […] by Larry Hirsh
For a Prosperous Future Golf Should Look Forward (a commentary) January 19, 2017 One of the more disturbing trends I’ve observed of late is both daily-fee courses and private clubs rejecting the efforts […] by Larry Hirsh
“10 Most Wanted” for 2017 December 28, 2016 As we embark on a new year, here are my “10 most wanted” (in no particular order) wishes for 2017: I […] by Larry Hirsh
Club Choice A fundamental of good golf is choosing the proper club for each shot. In today’s competitive environment for clubs, it’s […] by Larry Hirsh
HOA Clubs – Some Interesting Issues that all clubs can learn from December 7, 2016 We’re currently providing consulting services for a Homeowners Association (HOA) owned club that has raised some interesting issues and several […] by Larry Hirsh
The Golf Culture – Where’s the FUN? December 6, 2016 Golf in the United States is experiencing a decline in participation. In 2005, according to the National Golf Foundation, there […] by Larry Hirsh
Club Politics – Just like Washington? October 28, 2016 During our current, heated political season, also at the time many private clubs do their budgeting for next year, I […] by Larry Hirsh
The Politics of Golf October 18, 2016 Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’re probably aware there’s a quite contentious presidential election campaign going on. With just […] by Larry Hirsh
Arnold Palmer – A tribute September 27, 2016 Saturday Night I was at my buddy’s wedding in Colorado when I got the news from my son Jack that […] by Larry Hirsh
Energy Savings By Non-Traditional Means June 21, 2016 Energy use and cost has always been a relevant topic for course owners, but it’s getting considerably more attention now, […] by Larry Hirsh
The Unaffordable Golf Course May 12, 2016 For many years I’ve been wondering what it is that makes so many American golfers (especially club members) spend thousands […] by Larry Hirsh
Golf’s Future February 3, 2016 Greg Norman is 60 years old. In a recent interview with Golf.com Norman touted that the game needs to become more […] by Larry Hirsh
Conservation Easements January 5, 2016 Just this morning, I read with great disappointment an article in the Wall Street Journal about a conservation easement denied […] by Larry Hirsh
Commentary: The Market Rent Approach March 24, 2015 The valuation of golf course properties for ad-valorem tax assessment cases is an interesting exercise. In recent years, the “Market […] by Larry Hirsh
Debt: The Club’s Biggest Hurdle March 18, 2015 It’s no secret that debt can be problematic. Whether it be individual consumer debt, home mortgage debt, corporate debt or […] by Larry Hirsh
What Golf Can Learn From The Ski Industry March 6, 2015 Should we look at the ski industry? Despite many being impacted by the harsh winter weather and resulting flight delays, […] by Larry Hirsh
Private Clubs: Some Tidbits March 5, 2015 Two additional presentations of particular interest were made by Russ Conde of Club Benchmarking (CBI) and by Tom Bennison of […] by Larry Hirsh
PGA Show: The Golf Business in 2015 January 27, 2015 I sat down yesterday to watch Erik Compton win the Humana Challenge. Unfortunately, Compton started poorly and couldn’t quite catch […] by Larry Hirsh
Preparing to Sell Your Golf Course January 6, 2015 Like any other property, having an exit strategy is preferable to a distress sale of a golf course or club […] by Larry Hirsh
Practice Ranges – Logistics and Economics December 8, 2014 Famous Golden Age golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast once wrote “Ground for Practice is one of the essentials of the […] by Larry Hirsh
Ways to Add Value to Your Golf Course August 26, 2014 In order to restore value to our golf properties, we need to make them more efficient. Practice areas can often […] by Larry Hirsh
The Future of Private Clubs Could be Changing August 12, 2014 Many clubs in today’s ultra-competitive environment are challenged with debt and the need for capital improvements, often combined with declining […] by Larry Hirsh
Characteristics of Successful Clubs April 1, 2014 Does your club have a “flight plan”? Is it specific to YOUR club’s unique characteristics and challenges and not forced […] by Larry Hirsh
How Prophetic: Golf Courses As Historic Places March 20, 2014 Just the other day, a client and I were talking about a historic golf club and I later went home […] by Larry Hirsh
Good Track, Bad Track? August 29, 2013 This year, I’ve had the opportunity to play more golf courses than usual. Through travel, assignments, a few tournaments and […] by Larry Hirsh
Does Higher Utilization Mean More Revenues? July 8, 2013 Does more utilization of the golf course mean more revenues? This issue recently came up at a private club I […] by Larry Hirsh
Bargains, The US Open @ Merion and GPA June 17, 2013 Check out my latest article for Links Magazine if you’re looking to join a club and see that so me […] by Larry Hirsh
What are Golf Courses Really Worth? May 6, 2013 Just today, I reconnected with an old client who expressed his displeasure with a widely used methodology in the golf […] by Larry Hirsh
What Makes a Private Club Successful? April 30, 2013 I’ll be writing soon for Golf Course Industry magazine on the subject detailed in the headline above. In that piece, […] by Larry Hirsh
Tiger Woods, Tainglang Guan and the Masters April 16, 2013 So, what do you think of the Tiger Woods ruling at the Masters? Should he have been disqualified? Should he […] by Larry Hirsh
Debt Financing & Maintenance Budgets April 2, 2013 The single most significant obstacle to growth in the golf course industry remains a lack of debt financing for acquisition […] by Larry Hirsh
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