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You've heard of trickle-down economics, well, as the economy has worsened on Wall Street and made its way down to Main Street, the golf industry increasingly has felt the effects. Here in Hilton Head, rounds are noticeably down, good people and longtime stalwarts of our golf community have lost their jobs and ancillary businesses that rely on a healthy golf economy such as sporting goods stores, hotels and restaurants have felt the sting.
And make no mistake, the pain has been felt in every corner of this country and in every area that considers itself a "golf destination."Las Vegas, Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, Miami -- name the zip code and you will likely hear the same story.
While adapting courageously, golf courses in Southern Beaufort County have had to face these turbulent times head on, finding new ways to attract golfers to their courses while working under tighter budgets and with fewer resources.
By its very nature, however, golf is a game of small victories and 2008 should be viewed the same way. Yes, these are challenging times, but there are things to celebrate locally. The Verizon Heritage celebrated its 40th anniversary with a repeat champion, a longtime Bluffton favorite re-opened its fairways and greens and a pair of local professionals discovered that career success can come to those who wait -- and work hard.
By its very nature, the Heritage is annually the highlight of the year on Hilton Head, golf or otherwise, and thanks to a good ole boy that has become as comfortable hunting birdies in Sea Pines as he is deer in the Florida woods, 2008 was no exception.Boo Weekley, who rose from obscurity to win the 2007 Heritage over Ernie Els, proved that victory was no fluke by becoming the first back-to-back Verizon champion since Davis Love III accomplished the feat in 1991-92.
On his way to a three-shot victory over Anthony Kim and Aaron Baddeley, Weekley played all four rounds at even par or better, highlighted by a 7-under 64 on Friday that he followed up with a 6-under 65 on Saturday. But as impressive as his game was, it was Weekley's awe shucks style and down-home charm that engaged the Harbour Town galleries for the second straight year, making him the most popular player to wear multiple Tartan Jackets this side of Love himself.
Even more importantly, the Heritage continued to attract huge names despite its schedule slot the week after The Masters. In addition to Weekley, Kim and Baddeley, the final leader board included tour stalwarts such as Jim Furyk, Camilo Villegas, Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III and Matt Kuchar. No matter how lean the economy is, keep getting those names and people will still come out to watch and sponsors will continue to support the event.
Speaking of coming out, a once-proud golf course emerged from years of dormancy in 2008. For the past two years, the overgrown fairways and brown, empty greens of what was formerly the Rose Hill Golf Club served as a difficult reminder of the challenges facing the Lowcountry golf community. Yet in 2008, buoyed by the resolve of the Rose Hill property owners and the strong direction of the Signature Golf Group, Rose Hill re-opened for play.
Though nine holes short of its 27-hole past, Rose Hill re-emerged this past September as a well-conditioned and affordable option for both local and visiting golfers. The greens were re-built, the bunkers were redone and a new commitment to providing a quality golf experience was instilled by managing partner Skip Blythe.
In just a few short months, Rose Hill has managed to attract a strong membership base and with a $45 rate for locals, play has been steady and the course is headed in the right direction. That's certainly good news for Rose Hill owners that grew tired of seeing its once-proud course lay in tatters.
The top stories of 2008 on the PGA and Champions tours are not likely to include the names Kris Blanks or Tom McKnight, but this year brought significant accomplishments in the careers of both men. Blanks, a resident of Bluffton until last year, earned enough money on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 to earn his 2009 PGA Tour card.
After battling injuries and near-miss after near-miss, Blanks captured the Bank of America Championship this past June, and rode the momentum of that victory to three more top 10 finishes that put him inside the top 20 on the Nationwide Tour money list and onto the PGA Tour. It's likely Blanks will make his PGA debut sometime next month, an accomplishment that 12 months ago might not have seemed quite so likely.
Berkeley Hall resident McKnight made the most of his 22 starts on the Champions Tour, posting eight top 25 finishes, including a fourth place tie in the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn late in the year. His $375,000-plus in 2008 earnings was good enough to finish inside the top 50 and earn McKnight conditional status on the Champions Tour in 2009. Getting starts next year will still be priority number one, but with his performance this year, McKnight has proven he belongs among the best on the 50-plus circuit.
It can be human nature to concentrate on the bad and ignore the good. But, after all, it is the holidays, and perhaps just having some good things to celebrate is worth celebrating in itself.
That said, here's to a better 2009 for all of us.
