Page 25 - BusinessWest April 4, 2022

returning college students that we use quite a bit. Overall, it’s starting to ease up a bit, but it’s still not where it should be.”
Par for the Course
Meanwhile, other challenges fac- ing area courses include the rising cost of needed goods — again, that means everything from food to golf balls to landscaping equipment — and the short supplies of all the above. And,
of course, these two issues go hand
in hand. As supplies shrink (often as demand increases), prices go higher.
Burak put all this perspective by relaying his difficulties in securing a much-needed tractor.
“I want the same brand that I had before, because I have all the attach- ments for it,” he explained. “I went to the dealer, saw the model I wanted, and I said, ‘what’s the availability?’
He said, ‘I have none in stock, and I have seven on the waiting list that are already sold. The first one that comes in goes to the guy who’s been on the list the longest, and he put his order in last August.’ I probably won’t get the tractor in all season, the list is so long, and that’s just one dealer.”
“The phone is ringing off the hook on the banquet side. And that’s been so quiet — it’s been killing us for two years.”
Cardaropoli told a similar story with his efforts to secure a new fleet of golf carts.
“We were supposed to get them right now, but the dealer says they’re just not available yet,” he said. “We’re hoping that they’re just a few months late, but we just don’t know. We ordered them last year, and we’re still waiting. And for some of the older ones that we’re still using ... they break down, and we can’t get parts for them. It’s a struggle.”
Fontaine concurred. “With fertilizer alone, we’re seeing increases from 75% to 135% — and that’s just going to be a huge hit,” he said, noting that some of the materials in those products come from Russia and Ukraine, meaning things are likely to get worse before they get anhy better.
But the problem extends to golf equipment as well, with those we spoke with, noting that it was difficult to keep gloves, bags, and especially balls in stock last year, and similar problems are expected for 2022.
“We were very fortunate that we got our big order of golf balls in the spring from Titleist,” said Burak, mentioning the top ball maker in the world as he talked about 2021. “And we ended up with more than we needed, actually,
and the rep kept coming back, saying, ‘do you have any we can take back? We have customers begging for them.’”
Dave DiRico, owner of Dave DiRico’s Golf & Racquet, told BusinessWest that such problems are likely to continue into 2022.
“Titleist is saying that by mid-sum- mer, they could be running out of golf balls,” he said, adding that talk within the industry is that the resin needed to manufacture balls comes from China, and it is in increasingly short supply. “That’s what the companies are tell- ing us. With many of these things that come from China, the prices are jump- ing, or you just can’t get them.”
Golf bags are a good example of
this, he said, adding that supplies are limited and prices are skyrocketing, with models that cost $119 last year going now for at least $160.
Going for the Green
Despite these many challenges, golf-course operators are expecting 2022 to be another good year, perhaps a record year.
As noted, many courses are already open, and most anticipate opening sooner than would be considered nor- mal, if recent weather patterns contin- ue. And a good start is always impor- tant, Menachem said.
“It’s always a big help because it gets
people interested, and you can build momentum,” he explained. “You can also drive some shoulder-season rev- enue that is not always available.”
Meanwhile, all evidence is point- ing toward a continuation of what was seen in 2020 in terms of tee sheets fill- ing up and, at Tekoa at least, having
to tell callers that there are no times available.
On the private-course side of the ledger, Cararopoli noted that mem- bership at Twin Hills is at nearly full capacity despite a healthy increase in fees — an indication, he said, that the
Golf
Continued on page 28
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