From the looks of the story The Hound read in the paper, any hope for supporters of Orchard Hills returning as a golf course next year are slim and none. As Dan Rather said in 2000 during election night as Al Gore's hopes vanished: "Slim just left town."
The Waukegan Park District is seeking bids for the first phase of the planned sports complex and they're due early next month. R.I.P., Orchard Hills. The first phase will be preparing the land for the multi-use fields at the site off Green Bay Road. Work begins in earnest come spring with an opening expected in about a year.
If duffers still bemoaning the fact of the golf course's demise need any reminder of why Orchard Hills is being turned into a soccer/baseball/football field destination they got one recently. Bloomberg News Service reported last week that the U.S. golf industry is facing a sense of "urgency" and has embarked on a five-year plan to entice beginners to the game in the midst of an economic downturn.
Part of the lure, Bloomberg says the World Golf Foundation is undertaking, is to have 5,000 golf course across the nation offer $99 introductory packages that include golf lessons, coaching, etiquette of the game, etc. They hope to find 700,000 new golfers to play 5.7 million rounds of golf.
Bloomberg also notes golf participation in the U.S. fell to 26 million in 2005, a four million count drop from 2000. This according to the National Golf Foundation, which also determined about three million golfers quit playing each year and several hundred of the 3,000 new golf courses building between 1990 and 2003 have closed.
Is there any wonder, then, that Orchard Hills was given a death sentence? Oh, and if you want a good fish fry, try The Shanty in Wadsworth. The Hound chews on the bluegill.
I don't believe Orchard Hills would be as impacted as many other courses by the economic downturn. Orchard Hills was one of the least expensive courses in the area. If anything, perhaps their play would have increased from those looking for a bargain round of golf. The course had a very loyal following, many retirees and golfers who had played there for years on end. I doubt the reduction of play from this group would have a significant financial impact on the course. The course had staple golf outings who came back year after year. Again, not so sure this would have impacted the bottom line.
Orchard Hills made money. That parking lot was always crowded with people, had golf leagues 5 nights a week, and tons of outings. Those of us who have played the course know the maintenance was minimal. There aren't many sandtraps and not a lot of effort was put into creating upscale fairways and greens - nor was it required. The restaurant and bar made money.
The decision to shut it down was ignorant, and insulting to those of us who are smart enough to understand that it made money regardless of what was preached.
THE HOUND SAYS: Horatio, you're just blowing your own horn. The Hound gives you perfect facts and you refuse to accept what's happening in the world of golf. The reason golf was cheap at Orchard Hills is because the park district hadn't raised green fees to what they should have been in the first place. And, how do you know the restaurant and bar made money? What's your source? District finance folks say it was losing money and they get audited yearly. Betcha that bar and restaurant wasn't that crowded in the winter time or on rainy days. What is wrong with people that when presented with facts, they ignore them? That's what's ignorant and insulting.
I acknowledge what is happening in the world of golf. My point was that Orchard Hills might have been somewhat shielded given the loyal outings, leagues, customer base, and relatively inexpensive greens fees. Also, don't generalize - some areas will be hit harder than other areas by a downturn both economically and a lack of next generation golfers. I tend to think with the junior golf programs in the area, high school golf teams, IJGA/AJGA programs, First Tee all in the area, that the current level of golf in Illinois will be sustained for quite sometime.
These are just conclusions from someone who sees the big picture and can put together a salient thought of his own... rather than someone else's from a magazine or report.
There were various conflicting reports on what the revenues were at Orchard Hills. I tend to believe a report published by the Tribune that detailed a profitable operation at Orchard Hills. Why? Because prior to my retirement, I was a managing partner of two restaurants. There were many winter and rainy days in which Orchard Hill's restaurant was crowded, specifically the fish fry nights you enjoyed so much. The course was always crowded, and maintenance cost at Orchard Hills were quite minimal in comparison to other area courses.
Also, more than anything, I was annoyed the course sat idle all summer while the geniuses behind this attempted to put their plan together. What a waste. Hound - come up with an original thought of your own sometime.
THE HOUND SAYS: Still blowing that horn, eh, Horatio? And, you're becoming typically prolix. First, you accuse The Hound of generalizing and then you, in fact, generalize. Quoting a Chicago Tribune story certainly isn't what The Hound considers to be thinking originally, now is it? The Hound merely pointed out what the golf industry is saying: It is in trouble because the players aren't there. That isn't generalizing. That is fact. You can opine all you like, but The Hound was quoting facts, as presented by Bloomberg News Service, from the golf industry itself. Not opinions formed by prior bias, as you have indicated. And, if you don't believe The Hound when it comes to golf revenues and would prefer to quote the Chicago "Dewey beats Truman" Tribune, check with the Lake County Forest Preserve District and ask how the revenues are at Thunder Hawk, Brae Loch or Fort Sheridan. Then again, check the TV ratings for golf matches. They're tanking, too. Once again, those are facts. Not generalizations and not lame attempts at original thoughts disguised as prejudice.