After making concessions because of complaints about balls landing in a nearby property, Timberlin Golf Club in Berlin, N.H. has seen range revenues fall off over the past three years. The town council has approved hiring a consultant to explore creation of a full-service range.
Private clubs aren’t the only golf operations that have had problems related to complaints from neighboring properties about errant golf balls (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2014/09/22/worries-grow-latest-swings-quaker-ridge-gcs-stray-ball-case/)
But in the case of Timberlin Golf Club in Berlin, Conn., the Hartford Courant reported that the municipal course has decided to try to expand its driving-range operation after seeing revenues drop over the last three years since steps were taken to try to limit errant golf ball complaints from a nearby “pick your own” blueberry farm.
Timberlin bought special golf balls for use on the range that are supposed to travel 25 percent less than regular balls, the Courant reported, and limited club-use to irons.
The restrictions diminished the number of buckets of balls the course sells, and Town Manager Denise McNair said the course could earn more if the range is improved.
In a 2013 report, McNair noted that Timberlin’s limited capacity had dropped annual range income to about $16,000, the Courant reported, while a typical golf course range can “average an annual income upwards of $85,000.”
It appears that the current range could be modified and used for a full-service practice facility, with the expansion including moving the hitting station off the ridge it’s on now and installing netting, McNair added.
As part of considering an expansion of Timberlin’s range, the Courant reported, the Berlin town council has voted to hire a consultant for $64,000 to investigate the possibility of installing a full-service driving range, with more hitting stations and a short-game practice section where golfers can work on chip shots and putting.
About half of the $64,000 for the consultant will be paid from a Timberlin capital improvement account, with the rest coming from a town contingency fund, the Courant reported.
A better range means more income, Course Director Jonathan Zuk told the council before its vote to draft a master plan for a new range and analyze its economic impact.
“It’s a step in the right direction, part of the continuous improvement of our town course,” Deputy Mayor William Rasmussen said.
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