The latest National Golf Foundation figures show continued
strength in the construction of golf courses in the U.S. In '94,
golf course development projects showed 381 new courses open --
283 daily fee courses -- with another 769 under construction and
541 in planning stages. MI led the country in new courses opened
during '94 with 27, followed by FL with 21. MI also leads with
66 courses under construction, followed by CA with 44 and IL with
42. FL still has the most courses in the country with 1,098
(George Sweda, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/23). More and more
women are playing golf, according to the National Golf
Foundation. Women account for "just 21% of golfers, but they
make up 37% of newcomers to the game." The Executive Women's
Golf League in West Palm Beach, FL was started in '91 and has
nearly 10,000 members in 81 chapters, including "one of its
fastest growing in Atlanta." The Atlanta chapter has gained "a
big boost from AT&T, where VP Larry Bell has encouraged
saleswomen and other employees to learn golf as a way to enhance
business." Bell is so impressed with the league, he is going to
write AT&T's 10 largest customers in Atlanta -- including Delta
Air, Coca-Cola and Home Depot and "urge them to join" (Chris
Burkitt, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/24)
BRING IN THE SKY CAM: MA-based Player Systems Corp. has
developed SkyCaddie, a golf cart program that provides small
electronic screens. The screens "provide players with detailed
information, such as yards to the front of the green, yards to
the pin, yards to certain hazards and obstacles, and suggestions
for playing the hole." The system can also track play, and
messages can be sent to ask slow players to speed up. Players
Systems Dir of Marketing Richard Beckmann has installation of the
system pending at courses in Cape Cod, Myrtle Beach and Las
Vegas, while it has already been installed at Sailfish Point Golf
Club in Stuart, FL. The "optimum market is probably resort
courses, where management considers tee times to be like
inventory. Any method of better flow and speedier play is a
profit maker for the course" (Joe Gordon, BOSTON HERALD, 5/24).
