Florida Golf Courses Offer Discounts To Get Golfers In The Summer
If you build it, they will come" worked for Kevin Costner's character in the popular baseball movie, "Field of Dreams."
But area professionals and Florida golf course managers must do more than roll out the green carpet to seduce players to grab their clubs when the temperature and humidity are in the 90s.
Buffalo Creek Golf Course manager Bob Conforte reminds his staff of a tried-and-true means of getting repeat business: keep smiling.
"Everybody on our staff smiles at our golfers," Conforte said. "Only one person is allowed to be grumpy, and that's me, because I'm behind closed doors pushing papers."
Like most public and semi-private Florida golf courses throughout central Florida, Manatee County-operated Buffalo Creek discounts rounds throughout the summer to attract golfers - hoping they will buy a few cold drinks and visit the pro shop for equipment needs.
From a current high of $23 to ride and $21.75 to walk 18 holes to the twilight rate after 4 p.m. of $14.86 (with a coupon), Buffalo Creek strives to stay competitive.
"We want to make it easy for everyone to play," said Conforte. "In the past 10 years, we've been getting a lot of working people who take advantage of the twilight rates."
Tracy Lowry, head professional at Imperial Lakewoods in Palmetto, has another reason for discounting. The greens recently were aerified, so golfers who can handle less-than-perfect putting surfaces play 18 for $20. That's down from the normal $38 plus tax up until 11 a.m. (Imperial Lakewoods' normal summer rates decrease to $29 after 11 a.m. and $22 after 3 p.m.).
Lowry instructs his staff to inform players about the maintenance work and course conditions.
"Golfers appreciate it when you tell them up front," he said. "It doesn't matter to some people, but everything is reduced now, and they can go a lot of different places."
Imperial Lakewoods will be closed for four days starting Monday to allow maintenance workers to sprig and/or sod some bare areas.
Both county-run Florida golf courses, Buffalo Creek and Manatee County Golf Course, allow juniors 15 and under to ride and play for $4 when accompanied by an adult.
Seven Manatee County courses offer further discounts from May 1-Oct. 30 to holders of the Big Summer Card, which partners with 35 additional layouts in Sarasota, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.
The card costs $60. Manatee courses linked with it are Imperial Lakewoods, The Links at Greenfield Plantation, Preserve Golf Club at Tara, The River Club, Rosedale, Stoneybrook Golf Club and Waterlefe Golf & River Club.
"If you play about five rounds here in prime time (7 a.m.-noon), you have your money back," said Chris Kratzer, a pro shop employee at The Links at Greenfield Plantation another Florida golf course.
Sounds like a deal that's hard to beat - but, this time of year, easy to find.
But area professionals and Florida golf course managers must do more than roll out the green carpet to seduce players to grab their clubs when the temperature and humidity are in the 90s.
Buffalo Creek Golf Course manager Bob Conforte reminds his staff of a tried-and-true means of getting repeat business: keep smiling.
"Everybody on our staff smiles at our golfers," Conforte said. "Only one person is allowed to be grumpy, and that's me, because I'm behind closed doors pushing papers."
Like most public and semi-private Florida golf courses throughout central Florida, Manatee County-operated Buffalo Creek discounts rounds throughout the summer to attract golfers - hoping they will buy a few cold drinks and visit the pro shop for equipment needs.
From a current high of $23 to ride and $21.75 to walk 18 holes to the twilight rate after 4 p.m. of $14.86 (with a coupon), Buffalo Creek strives to stay competitive.
"We want to make it easy for everyone to play," said Conforte. "In the past 10 years, we've been getting a lot of working people who take advantage of the twilight rates."
Tracy Lowry, head professional at Imperial Lakewoods in Palmetto, has another reason for discounting. The greens recently were aerified, so golfers who can handle less-than-perfect putting surfaces play 18 for $20. That's down from the normal $38 plus tax up until 11 a.m. (Imperial Lakewoods' normal summer rates decrease to $29 after 11 a.m. and $22 after 3 p.m.).
Lowry instructs his staff to inform players about the maintenance work and course conditions.
"Golfers appreciate it when you tell them up front," he said. "It doesn't matter to some people, but everything is reduced now, and they can go a lot of different places."
Imperial Lakewoods will be closed for four days starting Monday to allow maintenance workers to sprig and/or sod some bare areas.
Both county-run Florida golf courses, Buffalo Creek and Manatee County Golf Course, allow juniors 15 and under to ride and play for $4 when accompanied by an adult.
Seven Manatee County courses offer further discounts from May 1-Oct. 30 to holders of the Big Summer Card, which partners with 35 additional layouts in Sarasota, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.
The card costs $60. Manatee courses linked with it are Imperial Lakewoods, The Links at Greenfield Plantation, Preserve Golf Club at Tara, The River Club, Rosedale, Stoneybrook Golf Club and Waterlefe Golf & River Club.
"If you play about five rounds here in prime time (7 a.m.-noon), you have your money back," said Chris Kratzer, a pro shop employee at The Links at Greenfield Plantation another Florida golf course.
Sounds like a deal that's hard to beat - but, this time of year, easy to find.
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