Downturn hurts South Florida golf courses

Local golf courses are offering big discounts as revenues have fallen sharply. The Sawgrass Mariott Resort, a PGA tournament site in Ponte Vedra Beach filed for Chapter 11 last week, although its golf course did not. While memberships have largely remained stable, the Ironhorse Country Club in West Palm Beach filed for bankruptcy in January.  National revenues for courses fell 3.8 percent from 2008 to 2009. At Palm Beach’s public courses, revenue went down six percent in the same time period. Local courses, private and public, are offering incentives to golfers to play more in the form of discount cards and reduced greens fees. [Miami Herald]