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SOUTH JERSEY

Area golf courses hit hard by winter's unrelenting chills

Joe Cooney
Courier-Post

The constant storms and freezing temperatures of this past winter put a lot of people in a foul mood.

Managers at South Jersey golf courses, however, were perhaps the most teed off. And with good reason.

Take Pennsauken Country Club: In February of last year the course welcomed more than 475 golfers during the relatively mild midwinter month. February 2012, another warm and snow-free winter, saw nearly 1,500 rounds paid for.

This February? Not a single ball struck by a paying golfer.

"This winter was different, that's for sure," says Pennsauken's manager and head professional Quentin Griffith. "I've been here 34 years. The only other time we had a zero revenue month (in February) was in 2010, when we had a record snowfall.

"This year was definitely one of the worst years I've ever seen."

Charlie Prato came into the Pennsauken pro shop on a mild spring day last week. The Cherry Hill resident, a former teacher, was there to pay his membership dues and get in a quick nine holes.

"I could not wait for this winter to get over with," the 83-year-old said. "I haven't played in months. As old as I am, I can't remember such a relentless season."

The region endured its second snowiest winter on record and frigid temperatures that were well below normal. It was a brutal one-two punch that wreaked havoc on tri-county golf courses.

Paul Capri, general manager at Golden Pheasant Golf Club in Lumberton, echoes Griffith's sentiments.

"We had a five-week span this winter that we didn't get to open one day," he complains.

"It was the duration of the crazy low temperatures and snow cover. And this winter came after a brutal summer last year. There was so much rain or it was incredibly hot."

Even private courses like Merchantville Country Club felt the brunt of Old Man Winter.

While members already had paid their yearly dues, revenue was lost from ancillary moneymakers in the restaurant, bar and pro shop.

"Our caterer really took a hit this year," sighed Merchantville marketing director John Tierney.

"We lost a lot of revenue because when people aren't playing, they aren't going into the clubhouse to have a beer and a sandwich. It was rough."

Speaking of rough, the grass at local courses held up pretty well despite the harsh winter, according to those in the know.

"Snow can be a benefit, but like most things in nature, too much of anything is a hindrance," says Merchantville superintendent Kent Rickenbach, who has been caring for greens and fairways for more than 40 years.

"Snow will insulate the soil to 32 degrees, independent of what the temperature may be at night. And it helps keep the soil and the grass from dehydrating.

"Too much snow can cause ice, however," Rickenbach cautions. "And too much ice can cause damage. You can also get snow mold, but we didn't get any of that. In terms of the turf, we were pretty lucky."

At Merchantville, Tierney boasts that "the fairways are absolutely immaculate. And overall, the course is in the best shape I've ever seen it."

Pennsauken's Griffith says he was impressed after playing a recent round.

"I was pleasantly surprised. The course looks very good. We should have a pretty good spring and summer."

Golden Pheasant's Capri also says his course dodged a bullet.

"We were pretty lucky. We fared real well and we have minimal, if any, turf damage," he notes. "I remember in the early 1990s we had a storm that left an inch of sleet and then we had a snowstorm. That killed off a lot of turf."

Meanwhile, local courses report business has been good the last two summers and membership is growing.

According to the National Golf Foundation, 2012 saw the greatest annual increase in U.S. golf rounds since 2000. More than 26 million additional rounds were played in 2012, a jump of 5.7 percent over the previous year.

But in 2013, NGF says rounds played dropped 4.6 percent. Rounds in the Mid-Atlantic states as of February were down 64.5 percent from 2013.

Warm weather played a big part in the 2012 resurgence, and a second factor was an increase in consumer confidence, according to the NGF. When consumers feel positive about the future, they're more likely to purchase than save.

For the golf industry that translates into more memberships, more rounds played, more lessons taken, more equipment purchases and more meals served in clubhouse restaurants.

"There's an ebb and flow when it comes to membership," explains Merchantville's Tierney, who notes there are about 200 full-time members now at the Cherry Hill country club. "We offer different deals now (in order to increase membership).

"And we now have a number of applications pending, so we're seeing membership numbers growing for the first time in several years."

Golden Pheasant, a semiprivate club that sees the majority of its rounds played by the public, still has a membership group that numbers almost 400, according to Capri.

Memberships at South Jersey clubs such as Pennsauken and Golden Pheasant average about $1,500 to $2,000 a year. The prices more than double at Cherry Hill's Woodcrest Country Club. And at elite courses such as Tavistock and Trump National?

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Pennsauken's Griffith says about 40 new members joined the club this year, bringing total membership to about 250.

"We have a nice mix of who wants to play when, between the members and the general public," he notes. "And once the warm weather gets here, we hope to get more (members).

"I'm looking forward to my 65-hour workweeks. That means the weather's nice and we're busy."

Reach Joe Cooney at (856) 317-7830 or jcooney@cpsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @cp_JoeCooney.

WINTER WOES

February at Pennsauken Country Club:

2012: Nearly 1,500 rounds

2013: More than 475 rounds

2014: 0 rounds