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Already stung by a long, drawn-out winter that delayed course openings by weeks, many owners and operators fear the worst: golfers playing less often this summer and not driving as far to tee it up.
"We are definitely concerned," said Brian Dumler, the PGA professional at SentryWorld in Stevens Point. "We are a destination course. There's no question that gas prices are a huge concern."
The golf industry nationwide has been less than robust for several years. Participation rates have been flat and more courses closed than opened in 2007, according to the National Golf Foundation.
But whatever problems the industry faces -- oversupply, golfers losing interest in the game, empty tee sheets on weekday afternoons -- probably pale in comparison with the potential double whammy of a struggling economy and gas that approaches $4 a gallon.
In Wisconsin, which has nearly 500 public courses and a relatively short season, owners are taking proactive measures, trimming any fat from their budgets and crossing their fingers.
"I'm one of the most optimistic people you'll ever meet," said David Bachmann Jr., owner of The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls. "But it's going to be an interesting year."
The golf season got off to a rough start because of record or near-record snowfalls throughout the state and below-average temperatures in March.
Hawk's View Golf Club, an 8-year-old course in Lake Geneva, had never opened later than March 23, according to Dave Hills, the general manager. This year, Hawk's View opened April 2. Dumler said SentryWorld was looking at its latest opening date in at least 15 years.
The Bull opened March 29 last year, sold 2,500 rounds in April and finished the year 7,000 rounds ahead of its 2006 total.
"That's going to be a hard act to follow," Bachmann said.
Courses can make up some of that revenue if the weather is good in May and summer weekends are relatively rain-free. But it's a moot point if gas hits $4 a gallon.
"We're concerned about players getting to our courses," said Brian Zimmerman, the golf manager for Milwaukee County Parks.
Milwaukee County courses probably would be less impacted than others by high gas prices because local golfers and leagues account for about 70% of all rounds sold. Zimmerman said Brown Deer Park, site of the U.S. Bank Championship and the county's most expensive course, would be most affected.
Gas prices are a much bigger concern at courses that rely on golfers driving significant distances to play them, such as SentryWorld and The Bull.
"We heard it at the Chicago Golf Show (in March)," Bachmann said. "People ask, 'Where are you?' We tell them two hours and they say, 'That's too far.' And then they mention the cost of gas."
Dumler and Bachmann both said they were concentrating their efforts on attracting more local play.
SentryWorld offers a season pass to Portage County residents that costs $100 and gives purchasers half-price green fees.
The Bull offers a reduced rate at 4 p.m. that has been popular with Sheboygan-area golfers.
"Even though we are a destination-type facility, I have made a lot of efforts to work at my local play," Bachmann said. "I'm trying to appeal as much to our local community as I do to the people traveling to play a high-end (Jack) Nicklaus course. But I still am counting on the traveling golfers to fill those peak periods."
High gas prices would impact golf courses in other ways, too.
Costs would increase for facilities that have gas-powered carts. And those courses would be hard-pressed to pass on the difference to golfers already looking for discounts and bargains.
"We haven't raised our greens fees yet," Hill said. "We did increase them $5 going into 2007 so we just felt there wasn't much room to increase prices (this year)."
The cost of maintaining a course -- fertilizing and cutting the grass, often with diesel-powered equipment -- has increased dramatically in recent years and that trend is almost sure to continue.
"The average fuel budget (for course maintenance) is in that $10,000 to $20,000 range at most courses and if you're looking at 50 cents more per gallon it's going to greatly affect your budget," Zimmerman said.
"I believe every superintendent is going to be looking at ways to try to curtail fuel consumption. We're looking at fuel surcharges on bringing in loads of sand. We're looking at everything."
Said Hills: "What kills us is most of the maintenance equipment today is diesel. That's already at $4 a gallon. There's not much we can do."
Zimmerman predicted some courses would alter maintenance schedules, such as allowing the rough to grow an extra day between cuts or skipping a day of fairway mowing mid-week, when rounds are typically down.
"We may change a few things we do with the rough, maybe pull in a mow line here or there," he said. "We're going to look at just about everything. We will continue to maintain the properties at the level people have come to expect."
Said Hills: "We're trying to conserve where we can but it's kind of a tough deal. We've got to continue to mow."
At Kohler Co.-owned Whistling Straits, a destination course that charges more than $300 for a round of golf, the maintenance schedule will remain the same no matter what happens to gas prices.
"We're not changing any of our policies," said Jim Richerson, general manager and group director of golf for the Kohler Co. "Someone who came here three years ago would not notice any difference this year. By no means would we cut back on course maintenance or guest services programs."
Richerson said he expected Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run to attract more international golfers this year because of the relative strength of the Euro against the dollar.
Most courses in Wisconsin, however, won't benefit from increased international business. They're going to have to do everything they can to get golfers to drive 20 or 30 miles to play.
"I'm very concerned," Hills said. "I'm concerned about the economy. I'm concerned about the weather. It's depressing."
Zimmerman was trying to stay positive.
"People are still willing to pay $3 or $4 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks," he said. "If the course is in good shape and speaks for itself, people will continue to play golf."
To see more of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jsonline.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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