In my opinion, a good golf course is classified by one thing and one thing alone, condition.
I have played on high caliber courses, in tip top condition as well as low caliber courses in great condition. And the one element that will indefinitely decide whether I come back to play is the condition of the greens.
There is this tiny 9 hole course in Napa Valley that most would consider a very poor design. The par fours are short, and the holes are dead straight. But the greens are always pure. And because of that factor alone, it is always busy.
On the other hand, I have played high caliber courses that have been in very poor condition. One course that comes to mind is south mountain golf course. The layout is amazing. The location and views are second to none, but the condition of the courses earns itself the classification of "dog track." it is no surprise the county has been trying to sell it for over a year, because it is losing money
A lot of it has to do with ownership. privately owned courses seem to never have a problem re-investing revenue to maintain the course, and to no surprise these courses stay afloat. Municipal course on the other hand, have the hardest time surviving because the city or county sees it as a revenue source and sucks the poor guy dry, leaving it in shambles.If you are a city official, and you read this post, make the right decision, and re-invest the golf course revenue to maintain a higher level of condition. If you do that, the $$$$ will increase and the course will stay busy forever.
