Is golf dead as a development anchor? That’s the question that faced Parastone Developments as they took over a failed golf course proposal in the Kootenays two years ago.
They may have found the answer: switching from golf to focus on mountain bike trails. The change paid off, according to Simon Howse, general manager of Parastone, which has seen a rapid sell out of the first phase of its 20 home sites at Montane in Fernie.
The previous owners had designed the site as a golf resort, which never came to fruition and the Montane lands remained undeveloped for 10 years as development leapfrogged over the parcel.
“Canadians are playing less golf than they used to and there are several world class golf courses in the area, already,” Howse explained.
The National Allied Golf Associations (NAG) reported last year that the number of rounds played on the average Canadian course has dropped 10% over the past five years. The declining interest is attributed to the time commitment required and the increase in cost of equipment and course prices, according to the NAG.
But Jim Lee, spokesman for British Columbia Golf, an industry association, said reports of golf’s demise are grossly exaggerated.
“Golf is still the most popular sport in participation in B.C., with 410,000 people over the age of 12 having played golf at least once in the past 12 months.” Lee said, citing a Print Measurement Bureau study done in 2013. “There are 152,000 golfers playing more than 10 times in the past 12 months [in B.C.].
“In the U.S., golf courses are closing, particularly in residential developments, due to an over supply,” Lee said. “That does not appear to be the case in Canada, and particularly in B.C., although there have been courses in financial difficulty.”
