See what people in the golf industry are saying about the sport’s popularity
Interviews by Sharon Dombek
Scott Hampton, Director of Golf at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida.
I have been here, at the UF Golf Course, for 22 1/2 years and have been in the golf business for 28 years.
We have not seen a drop off of golfers at all, we have seen a huge increase in golf, especially since
Covid hit. We closed for 6 weeks and kind of reset everything. Since then, we have been unbelievably
busy. We used to do no tee times during the week and only tee times on the weekend. Because we are
so busy now, we have tee times 7 days a week from 7:30 am to 4:00 prn, our twilight rate, and they are
packed every single day. Financially, over the last 4 months, we are $70,000 over what we did last year already.
Memberships, which have historically run with semester and yearly have been between 175 and 200, now
are between 250 and 300. Part of that is due to the fact that there is not a lot you can do sports wise that is
no contact.
Golf has become a great sport because you can social distance, you can ride in your own cart, and you
can walk. I don't see that changing. With the way things are going, this is a sport that will continue to grow
because you have the ability to do this and stay away from people and do it on your own.
Based on our financials, rounds are up. On Tuesdays, our ladies league, over the past 5 years, has gone
from 10-12, 18 hole players and maybe 4-6, 9 hole players to 25-30, 18 hole players and 16-24, 9 hole
players that we see every week, which is great. Our senior men's league, which plays on Thursdays, has
gone from 10-15 players to 28-30 weekly. Our Men's Association has increased over the last 5 years
exponentially over what we used to have. I don't see it going backwards.
I teach golf courses through UF, although due to Covid they are not going on now. The plan is to start
back next semester. We do some junior camps. I'm working with Gainesville Junior Golf Association.
We're trying to get that back over here again, we had it in the spring before we closed. We're going to
do that again. Just around town,
Eric Thomas, Teaching Professional, Ironwood Golf Course.
Eric grew up in Alachua County and reminisced about the fun he had as a child hitting balls on the
driving range and playing golf with his dad at West End Golf Course. Eric participated many years in
an annual golf tournament known as the Tom's Tournament sponsored by the Tom’s Food Company.
This tournament hosted as many as 100 children ages 5-18 from all over North Florida.
Now, as an adult, Eric has been instructing golf lessons, clinics, and hosting golf tournaments at Ironwood
for almost 8 years. He was passionate about the value golf brings to young people teaching them responsibility,
honesty, and integrity. Sadly, many young people are only exposed to these values through golf. Ironwood
Golf Course is a strong supporter of a program known as The 1st Tee. This program instills these important
values as well as teaching golf fundamentals.
Currently Eric is teaching 2 golf courses offered through Santa Fe Community Ed. Interest in golf has skyrocketed
in part due to the pandemic and Eric plans to add a 3rd class to the curriculum. Ironwood hosts many
tournaments and Eric believes these tournaments are an excellent way to raise awareness for many causes
such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, etc. With private lessons, classes, tournaments and people looking for
outside activity, Ironwood Golf Course is a very busy place.