I just couldnt ignore the stupidity of oil/gas prices. I have worked in the golf industry for the past 17 years. I have seen what some called a recession and what some called a surplus from an economic point of view. Now matter how bad it was or how good it was the golf industry as a whole stayed steady, until now. Gas prices have affected the economics of this country to the point of slowing probably the only consistent industry in the nation besides food and clothing. I have talked to everyone from retailers to manufacturers to golf courses and they all agree, things are slow to get started and the probability of their worst year is very likely.
What has changed? How about $4.00 per gallon of gasoline. People must use their recreational money to put gas in the car. Choices are being made everyday as to whether they should spend $25 - $50 for nine or eighteen holes of golf or to put a quarter of a tank of gas in the family car. Gas is gobbling up that little bit of extra money people had after they paid all their other bills and taxes. After I paid my energy bill, my car payment, my house payment, my insurance payments, my kids eyeglasses and braces, and my property taxes and my sales taxes, my business taxes, my personal property business taxes, my consumer taxes and a few taxes and bills I know I am forgetting, in the past I actually still had a few bucks to go and play 9 holes at my local golf course once or twice a week.
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