The dreadful day has arrived when my beloved golf course, Osprey Links, is closed……for the season. Jeff Rogerson, GM, made the call because of the tremendous amount of rain, cooler weather, and to allow his staff to but the course to bed for the winter. Generally closing on 31 October, I figure that he decided that the long term benefit for the golf course would be to close a week early. Additionally, the business side of things probably weighed into this decision and with the forecast for cooler and wetter weather all week, I would say it is a good call!
This time of year is always tough for Northern Ontario Golf Courses. Some years I have played golf into the middle of November and other times the courses close on 15 October due to snow. It is during this month of uncertainty that golf course managers earn their keep. They are trying to balance still running a profitable business with ensuring that they complete all the tasks for a long winters nap. And then there is the challenge to trying to keep the membership happy because there are always those crazy few who will want to be on the course regardless of the conditions. But, at one point there is a point of diminishing returns and the decision must be made to pull the pins.
I have known Jeff for many years. We have had many great conversations and I know that he tries to balance the needs of everyone. After a long and very busy season, many people would just throw in the towel and want to close everything down early. Not Jeff, his top priority is to try and squeeze the most value out of the course every year for the members. From my point of view, I am not disappointed and I have always received more that my value for my membership.
Another year has come and gone. I want to thank Jeff and his team for another fantastic year. It was a great season and I am grateful for your customer service, professionalism, and positive staff. I wish everyone a great off-season; enjoy the down time and the rest.
As an after thought, I added this poll I made:
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 