For more than a decade I’ve been friends with a gentleman and his wife from New Hampshire that play a lot of golf, and after meeting them on the course while playing with a fellow golf blogger, we’ve stayed in touch via social media. We often discuss topics related to golf business and course design, and the subject frequently shifts to golf course sales and closures. Unfortunately, his home club has now become the subject of that very discussion. Below is his account of what’s happening at Montcalm Golf Club.
Montcalm’s Woes
Soon after it opened in 2003, Montcalm Golf Club in Enfield, NH appeared in Golf Digest’s prestigious “Top 10 New Courses in the Country” list. Now, just 15 years later the course appears close to closing after years of financial struggles.
But let’s begin back in better times. In 2000, Champion International CEO Andrew Sigler retired to nearby Norwich, VT after a career that included positions on the Board of Directors for General Electric, Bristol-Meyers, Morgan Stanley, and at his Ivy League alma mater – Dartmouth College. Sigler is an avid golfer and holds memberships at Augusta National and Cypress Point, among others. Accordingly, he decided to build his own course and happened upon a piece of property with its own interstate exit. Indeed, Exit 15 on Interstate 89 leads to a dirt road and a wooden gate. That gate is the mile-long entrance road to Montcalm Golf Club.
In high times, the course held north of 150 members. Recently released documents show just 80 for this season. Resultantly, revenue which approached $700,000 in some years now is closer to $400,000 with the same $1.1 Million operating expense. For 15 years Sigler has willingly made up the difference, but now as he approaches 87 he has decided enough is enough and has made it public he’s ready to sell.
That, however, is the problem. The six parcel property is assessed at $4.4 Million and comes with a hefty $100,000 per year tax bill. This for a piece of property devoid of any municipal services. A prospective buyer could have the land and course for cheap, but also would immediately be faced with $600,000 worth of equipment and services that need to be attended to in order to open the doors again in 2019.
Adding to the Montcalm woes, the course of Sigler’s alma mater, Dartmouth College’s Hanover Country Club is just miles up the road and publicly stated earlier in the year that THEY are losing $600,000 per year, and several public sessions were held about the possibility of closing and/or revamping that layout.
Sigler is someone who rubbed elbows with Warren Buffett, Jack Welch, Rupert Murdoch and the like, and now faces the possibility that the property he’s put more than $25 Million into will be all but given away because of its yearly deficits.
Every winter, the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL brings together thousands of people from all facets of the golf industry. I’ve been fortunate to meet PGA and LPGA legends and superstars, golf equipment gurus, company presidents, prominent media members, world class instructors and many more colorful and interesting people. Of all the people I’ve met and befriended over the years, the most captivating to me are golf course architects. I’ve always had a huge interest in golf course design, and it has always been a dream of mine to help design a golf course.
One of my favorite golf course architects is Ron Garl. Holding a degree from the University of Florida with a specialization in turf grass management, he has designed over 250 golf courses world wide, and had put his signature on close to 100 facilities in Florida alone. His designs are special because they will challenge the golfer to use every club in the bag, and he has a great talent for routing a course to best take advantage of the host site’s natural topology.
One of my personal favorite golf facilities is a Garl design called Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club. When it opened, it was the first replica course in the world. The 8 replica holes are recreations of famous holes from Troon (Postage Stamp), Muirfield (#9), Augusta National (#12 and #13 of Amen Corner), Baltusrol and St. Andrews (Road hole, #1). While the replica holes get most of the attention, the rest of the course is even better, and the practice facility at this private club is second to none, with a large driving range, three practice holes and several spaced out short game practice greens.
I ran into Ron at the PGA Demo Day this past January and struck up a conversation. After discussing a few of his designs in central florida that I am very familiar with, he agreed to take some time to answer some questions for us.
Crown Colony – Fort Myers, FL
ITG: How long have you been involved in golf course architecture?
RG: 42 years. 250 golf courses later, many lessons learned and a lot of great friends made along the way!
ITG: How & why did you get started as a golf course architect?
RG: As a kid, raking bunkers on a maintenance crew and I dreamed of moving and reshaping the bunker. I would design courses in my head that people would love to play.
ITG: Who would you cite as your biggest design influences?
RG: Joe Lee, Robert Trent Jones (both of whom I worked for in my early years) and Allister Mackenzie.
ITG: How has golf course architecture changed over the years?
RG: Originally golf course architecture was more art than science. Today it has become more technical, but art of the layout is still most important to golfer!
#8 Nine Dragons – Shanghai, China
ITG: Do you think lengthening courses or “Tiger-proofing” is hurting the game?
RG: Yes, there is a huge difference between length of tour players and amateurs. Barney Adams, of Adams Golf, did an analysis of the length of tour players vs. the average male amateur for them to use the same irons on their approach shot to the green as the tour player would use. For the average male amateur playing a course at 6,700 yards, the pros would have to play the course at 8,100 yards.
ITG: Conversely, what do you think of the USGA’s Tee It Forward campaign?
RG: Great idea – people enjoy the game and will play more!
ITG: In what other ways can a designer make courses tough for the Pros without simply adding length? RG: By adding options and strategy off tees so that you create a risk reward.
ITG: How is the design community making courses more environmentally friendly?
RG: Making more waste areas and bunkers that do not have to be watered. Using more native grasses.
ITG: Do you have a specific approach in mind for each course you design, or do you let the natural topology and features determine the design?
RG: It is always our goal to design a course to lay softly on the land and enhance the natural features which mother nature gave us to work with.
ITG: What are the hottest and coldest places for new golf courses right now?
RG: Coldest: U.S. Hottest: Everywhere but the U.S. – U.S. is too expensive!
Fiddlesticks #9  – Fort Myers, FL
ITG: Where do you currently have projects on the books?
RG: We are currently working in 12 countries from China to Africa.
ITG: What is your basic course design philosophy?
RG: Simple. To make courses Enjoyable, Traditional, Challenging & Memorable
ITG: Do you have any advice for would-be golf course architects out there?
RG: It is a difficult time to get into the golf course architect business.
ITG: What are the challenges presented to a designer to make a course challenging but playable for a wide array of abilities?
RG: The use of multiple tees that not only make the hole play shorter, but change the angle of attack.
ITG: What is the future of golf course design? Where do you see the industry going in the next 20 years?
RG: Renovation and sustainability, most of the growth being outside the U.S.
ITG: What is your favorite golf course, and what is your favorite course that you designed?
RG: My favorites, broken into categories:
Oceanfront: Nine Dragons (Shanghai, China) – Holes in the ocean, holes on cliffs
Inland: Fiddlesticks (Fort Myers, Florida) – Twin island finishing greens
Mountain: Alpine Chiangmai (Chiangmai, Thailand) – Peaceful, natural setting in the mountains, tranquil
ITG: Golden Ocala is a personal favorite of mine. What kind of challenges do replica holes present to a designer?
RG: Golden Ocala, which I dreamed up and designed, was the 1st replica golf course in the world. The real challenge is to capture the feeling of a hole!
Alpine Golf & Sports Club – Bangkok, Thailand
ITG: Have golf equipment technology advances changed how you design courses?
RG: Yes. The option instead of adding length is to create more target specific zones within the landing areas, therefore if you are going to hit the long ball you have to be more accurate with it to be rewarded with the best approach into the green.
ITG: Anchored putters – Ban or allow?
RG: Allow! Putting is very frustrating to most amateurs. Most players don’t have the time (hours & hours) to practice putting and no desire to. It gets back to enjoyment. If they enjoy it more they will stay with the game and play more. Let amateurs use anchored putters! Loss of players is game’s biggest problem the game has. Listen up USGA!
ITG: What are your interests outside of golf course design?
RG: Flying/piloting your own plane, i.e. soar with the eagles, Antique Scooters & Fishing
ITG: How can readers find out more about your golf course designs?
RG: Our web site: www.rongarl.com
In high times, the course held north of 150 members. Recently released documents show just 80 for this season. Resultantly, revenue which approached $700,000 in some years now is closer to $400,000 with the same $1.1 Million operating expense. For 15 years Sigler has willingly made up the difference, but now as he approaches 87 he has decided enough is enough and has made it public he’s ready to sell.
