By WMBD-TV
BLOOMINGTON – The city of Bloomington is seeing an increase of people hitting the greens at the golf courses.
“There’s just a lot of excitement for the game right now,” said Superintendent of Golf Jason Wingate.
Highland Park Golf Course, Prairie Vista Golf Course and the Arnold Palmer designed The Den at Fox Creek are getting busier year round.
“We’re just seeing really increases year over year, really since 2020. That’s happening at all three courses,” said Superintendent of Golf Jason Wingate. So, rounds of golf nationally, they’re strong, but so far in 2024 our rounds are up nationally flat to one percent. Here at the city through August we’re up at actually about eight percent.”
The three courses average 60,000 rounds a year. From 2019 through 2023 golf rounds have increased by 10,000 rounds.
“I think COVID was the catalyst where a lot of people really came back to the game. Maybe they hadn’t played in awhile,” said Wingate. “It’s an outdoor activity where golfers across all generations can play.”
Wingate said they are seeing an increase in younger millennials and Gen-Z coming to the courses.
“Where it used to be a lot of times during the week we would see a little bit of an older crowd, now that crowd, particularly in the afternoons and evenings, is very much a younger crowd. So, we’re really excited about that because they’re the future of the game,” Wingate said.
The courses are so good people come from across the state to take a swing. Cathi Tavarczki and her husband have been traveling to Bloomington from Decatur once a week to tee up.
“We like to try to different courses and Bloomington has a couple of really nice courses where we really like playing,” Tavarczki said. “And then we like to go out to lunch afterwards. It’s just nice to have a variety of different courses to play on.”
Tavarczki said they’ve been golfing for 35 years and have been visiting Bloomington for about five years. They had more time to travel after her husband retired.
“The courses here, they’re in great shape. Especially this year with the weather we’ve had, the courses seems to be in great shape,” she said. “It’s just very scenic being up on this vista here. It’s very pretty. And we like to see some pretty courses. Like I said, if the course is in great shape it makes for a better game. So we enjoy having a nice course.”
Wingate said he’s happy to see busy courses.
“Any golf course operator just wants to see their golf course busy. And just to look out to see people out there playing golf, enjoying it, a generational game,” he said. “As I get a little bit older, to be able to go out and still play golf with my son and I have a grandson now, we can share the game together. That’s what makes it really special about golf.”
The city of Bloomington offers a kids play free program. Children high school aged and under accompanied by a paying adult can play for free after 2 p.m. daily.
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