In the 1850’s to the early 1880’s, Prestwick, Scotland was home to a 12-hole golf course. “Old Tom Morris designed and built the 12-hole course” (Wikipedia, 2015), which was home to the first Open in 1860. This 12-hole golf course had several different tunnels (fairways) that where color coded, that lead to the same greens. As golf grew, Prestwick was redesigned to the now standard, 18-hole course. This is golf as we know it now, 9 or 18 holes. The problem with golf as we know it is that participation is declining.
In April, 2015, an article was published by Economist.com that addressed the issue of declining golf. It highlighted facts about 160 of nearly 15,000 golf facilities have closed in 2013, which marked 8 years straight of closures. The two main reasons for this major decline is length of time to play and the economy. In golf, it is common knowledge that it takes an average of four hours plus to play an 18-hole round. In today’s fast paced society, getting away to play a round is not practical. To add to this is stagnant wages and economic problems, which make it more difficult for golfers and future golfers to afford golf memberships or a round of golf. The cost to maintain courses and employ staff to perform the maintenance causes the cost of memberships and rounds of golf to increase. Is there solution to bring down the cost, create a faster pace, and bring back the popularity that golf once had? The answer is simple and does not involve reinventing the wheel, it is Six12 Golf.
Six12 Golf was developed by Terry LaGree, President of Barbaron, Inc. (www.barbaron.com) and his vision to reestablish the history of golf, which is a better fit for the future of golf. By having a Six12 golf course, the cost of land, design, and maintenance will drive down the operating costs, allowing for lower rates for the golfers. With the option to play 6, 12, or 18 holes (one loop played twice), it provides the golfer with more options based on their time schedule. This will increase the number of golfers that are able to play, therefore increasing the profitability compared to a standard 18-hole course. Past traditions, with today’s vision by Terry LaGree, Six12 Golf will revolutionize the sport of golf once again!
References:
Economist.(2015).Why golf is in decline in America. http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-
explains/2015/04/economist-explains-1.
WikiPedia.(2015).Prestwick Golf Club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestwick_Golf_Club.
