The attention lavished on Cape Breton’s two newest golf courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, might lead a person to believe that golf is thriving on the island.
However, that attention hasn’t always translated to revenue or members for older golf clubs, which have been feeling the strain of both competition and a declining local golf community.
That’s required a change in attitude and business model.
One of the oldest clubs in Canada, the 122-year-old Lingan Golf and Country Club near Sydney, for one, has transformed its operation in recent years by shifting away from focusing on exclusive memberships to embracing occasional players and non-members.
Like so many heritage golf clubs, Lingan once denied membership to minorities and women.
Those days are of course long gone, but a more inclusive outlook has not meant a leap in membership numbers.
“Golf courses have really had to come up with new ways to attract people,” said Lingan general manager Donnie Rowe. “It’s trying to find ways to entice people to come out and play nine holes or use the practice facilities or just other things to get them to come out to the golf course.”
Rowe said that includes offering tee times to non-members who just pay green fees to play. Those fees have become an important part of Lingan’s revenue stream.
“It used to be that they had 800 members; they didn’t have room for green fees,” Rowe explained.
“Now we’re down to 500 members. There’s room to send people out. You know, the golf course is here. You might as well send people out and play it.”
There’s also less competition and more co-operation between clubs.
“We don’t have to have this sort of cut-throat, we’re trying to take advantage of everybody…that’s not the way it works,” Rowe said.
