Monday, July 28, 2003
Golf courses, tennis clubs and pools suffer from low attendance, profits.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
Soggy fairways and greens are doing nothing for Paul Lawrence's golf game these days.
"I'm not getting as much roll on the ball. I drive it 100 yards and then, thud," he says, laughing. "I'm not getting that extra 50 feet of roll."
A wet spring meant a late start for fans of typical summer recreation, and heavy downpours in recent weeks have forced outdoor enthusiasts off the golf courses and tennis courts and out of the swimming pools.
Lawrence, Niles Municipal Court clerk, usually golfs two days a week and bikes a few times a week each summer. He said the rainy summer season is now leaving him a little stir crazy.
"I like to be outside, and I haven't been able to do anything," he said. "It's good weather for water polo though; maybe I'll take that up."
Dave Coller, golf pro at Pine Lakes Golf Course in Hubbard, says the rain is hurting courses like his because they are losing the "casual golfer" -- those who come out once in a while and are starting to develop a love of the game.
"It's really hard to grow new golfers when they can't get out there," he said.
Coller said course workers usually expect some sporadic weather early in the season, but by this time of year they are normally in full swing with league and casual golfers.
"In June, you expect a thunderstorm here and there, maybe a little bit more in July," he said. "But this year, we haven't had a solid week of good weather."
The heavy rains early last week forced the course to close for two days, he said.
Closed courses
Pine Lakes is not alone in turning people away this summer because of bad weather.
Andy Santor, golf pro at Mill Creek Golf Course, said this year's been the worst he's seen.
"There are people who've been working here more than 20 years who have never seen it this bad," he said, adding the course was closed a few days last week because of heavy rains.
Even Thursday, when the sun managed to shine most of the day, he was forced to open late to let the fairways and greens dry out a little. The rain has caused a drop in revenue at the course by about 30 percent to 40 percent so far this year.
It's about the same amount Salem Hills Golf and Country Club has lost so far, said employee Leo Jennings.
He added that even when the course is able to open, many times it's impossible for golf carts to make it through the soggy terrain.
"We have a lot of old-timers who won't play if they have to walk the course," he said.
Other recreation affected
Golf courses aren't the only places seeing drops in attendance and revenue from the downpours. Of 400 family members at the Boardman Tennis and Swim Club, about one-third are coming on a regular basis, said manager Kevin Randolph.
Featuring seven outdoor tennis courts, sand volleyball courts and a pool, the facility is seeing a short-term budget crunch because of closings.
"We've closed more times this year than probably the last five years combined," Randolph said. "We don't have those guest fees coming in like we normally do, so it may hurt us a little in the short term, but in the long run we should be OK."
Last week, the facility was closed between three and four hours each day, he said. And even when it was open, guests had some minor weather-related complaints, he added.
"We had some of the kids telling us the pool was too full," Randolph said. "After all those heavy rains, we needed to drain off about 3 inches of water."
A spokeswoman at the Youngstown Parks and Recreation Department said workers have Borts Pool on the West Side and the North Side pool ready to go every day, but when customers don't arrive, they close.
Even dry days haven't brought many swimmers this year, she said, because lower temperatures combined with nonheated pools make for chilly swimming.
"These kids show up to work every day for about two hours, but then we let them go home because no one's there," she said.
slshaulis@vindy.com