Have you ever wondered why some golf courses are successful and others nearby with similar terrain are not? Aside from golf course reviews, operations, or real estate value, what makes a golfer decide that a specific golf course is successful? What qualities make you successful in the eyes of the beholder? And who judges these courses anyway? It would seem that opinions about the success of a golf course would vary drastically. Think about how a disabled person would judge a golf course.
What about a professional golfer with exceptional skills who loves to be challenged? Conversely, how about a group of young women who occasionally get together to play golf on easy terrain because they think it’s a fun thing to do, but aren’t really into the sport? And, for that matter, do the opinions of non-golfers count? If a non-golfer walks by a course one day and sees miles and miles of beautifully trimmed, perfectly landscaped green trees and colorful flowers, with ducks swimming in a pond, can they decide if that course is better than another? With such varied opinions, who and what makes a successful golf course?
It must be said that the “wow” factor of a visually appealing golf course is often a substantial determining factor in its success. Although an architect may have designed the course with deep rough near a fairway to make it more visually appealing, does it make a golfer still want to play there if he constantly loses his golf balls? That’s a common and valid complaint in the golf industry and most don’t see losing their golf balls as a challenge, they see it as an annoyance. The deep rough can deter golfers from playing the course. But on the other hand, if there isn’t deep rough or enough challenging bunkers, the course may seem too easy for golfers with higher skill levels who enjoy challenges. The “wow” factor of a beautifully designed golf course can make it successful or it can turn off some golfers who may see it as pretentious and too challenging.
In theory, a successful golf course should be designed to attract as many different people and skill levels as possible to bring satisfaction and pleasure to all. Although there are many golf courses that strive to do just that, there will always be individuals or groups of people who will base the success of a golf course on their own personal list of criteria. A beautiful private golf course with challenging terrain may appeal to some, while a public course that is inexpensive and not very challenging may appeal to others. One of the best things you can do is search for golf courses online and read golf course reviews Read about what your experience was like, were there enough challenging shots, was the setting everything it claimed to be, were there too many bunkers, were there not enough and more. A golf course is only as successful as its customers.