Golf club a model of success
Defying trends at other golf
facilities, the Whitefish Lake Golf Course marked a good season
this year.
“It’s been a real solid year for us,”
Terry Nelson said. “While other courses in the state and region
have seen a 15 percent decrease.”
Nelson, executive secretary of the
Whitefish Lake Golf Association, said the Whitefish course offers a
unique experience that draws players both locally and from the
region. Despite a slow June with cold and wet weather, the course
had a busy July and August.
“This season we’re right on budget,” he
said.
The course averages about 60,000 people
every summer — that’s about 600 golfers on both courses per day for
10 hours per day.
The course’s proximity to Canada,
second homes in Whitefish and the city’s other amenities have
combined to keep that number on track the last three years. Add to
that a number of tournaments — the recent Member-Guest tournament
drew 196 players — and player numbers have remained up.
“We’ve stayed steady the last three
years even with the downturn in the economy,” Nelson said. “We’ve
been able to maintain membership.”
Whitefish Lake Golf Course is a 36-hole
golf complex with two courses. The great course combined with a
membership cost of roughly $500, Nelson said, makes Whitefish a
good deal.
“People chose to take advantage of the
best facility for the best value,” he said. “The fees here are
exceptionally low. For local people I don’t think there’s a better
deal in the U.S. or anything as good in the region.”
As a non-profit, the Whitefish Lake
Golf Association leases the course from the City of Whitefish and
manages the facility. The association then contracts with others to
run portions of the course like its pro shop and restaurant.
This arrangement allows the golf
association to focus on providing the best service and golf while
relieving the city of potential financial strain if the course
didn’t perform well.
“Whitefish Lake Golf Club is being used
as a model of success while other courses struggle to survive,”
Nelson said.
He said he’s spoken with several
courses in the state interested in this type of operation.
The association has used its success to
reinvest in its facilities. Improvements in the last few years have
included restoring the log clubhouse, the remodel of hole No. 2 of
the North Course in 2005, a new driving range facility, a new
outside services center and deck in 2008.
This week the course expects to begin
construction on a new maintenance building with a new employee area
and updated shop area.
“A lot of cities try to run their
courses and they have to put money into them,” Nelson said. “With
the lease, the city doesn’t have to do anything. They don’t have to
have any capital improvements. A lot of municipal courses are
struggling, but we’re doing well.”