Fire destroys Amana Colonies Golf Club clubhouse

[cigaretteman]

Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at the Amana Colonies Golf Club, 451 U Avenue.

Crews from several departments responded around 3:40 a.m. to the clubhouse. The entire building was engulfed when TV9 arrived on the scene.

Firefighters initially held back and were unable to approach the fire due to the intensity of the flames.

Thick smoke covered the scene around 5:30 a.m. as firefighters finished putting out the fire around that time.

There was severe damage to the walls and roof, making the building likely a total loss.

A sheriff’s deputy and firefighters on the scene said there were no injuries injuries as a result of the fire.

Crews on the scene said both the severity of the fire and its remote location — far from fire hydrants — required the assistance of four total departments.

Officials said around 6:30 a.m. they would likely remain at the site for several more hours to watch for hot spots and begin the investigation into how the fire started.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/fire-at-amana-colonies-golf-club-20151106

 

[22*43*51]

Notice the timing. Garden variety Insurance Arson.

Record wet summer had the Midwest golfing industry reeling.

 

[ICWestfan]

Notice the timing. Garden variety Insurance Arson.

Record wet summer had the Midwest golfing industry reeling.

It may have been arson. Not sure of the circumstances, but most if not all of the staff were fired this summer/ fall and the course was struggling. However, I don't think weather had much to do with it. In NL, of the 3 league nights at our course, only 5 nights were missed due to rain out of the 70+ nights scheduled.

 

[Run&Blade]

Lots of courses hurting. Dike golf course is for sale. Told the clubhouse hasn't been maintained well and needs some serious work to roof and basement.

The newer Waverly course is hanging on by a thread.

Several years ago Rockford plowed their course under.

Not a good investment any longer.

 

[ottumwan in tx]

ISIS ?

 

[linkshero]

Notice the timing. Garden variety Insurance Arson.

Record wet summer had the Midwest golfing industry reeling.

Had nothing to do with weather.

The industry is in trouble, but will seek a corrected level.

I have inside info that Dicks is in the process of closing all Golf Galaxy's. They bought the chain in 2006, and at some point, was doing over $300 million out of those boxes. In addition, they have mini Golf stores within their stores. I'm not sure where over a quarter billion dollars in retail sales goes to, but it's not good. It really doesn't help when a company like Taylor Made is releasing about 6 new drivers every year.

As much as I dislike Tiger as a player, and a person, his impact on the game was huge. He brought in a pretty sizable market base to an industry that needed more diversity (not just race).

What is surprising is the popularity of Golf in Asia, especially Korea, Australia, and Africa is a on a pretty big upswing.

 

[ottumwan in tx]

we had a bunch of Asians I think try and buy out the club here in Austin where we play tennis but the golf course has been ruined by floods twice in three years, not sure if they bought it or not- I would not call it a great investment

 

[fivecardstud14]

Had nothing to do with weather.

The industry is in trouble, but will seek a corrected level.

I have inside info that Dicks is in the process of closing all Golf Galaxy's. They bought the chain in 2006, and at some point, was doing over $300 million out of those boxes. In addition, they have mini Golf stores within their stores. I'm not sure where over a quarter billion dollars in retail sales goes to, but it's not good. It really doesn't help when a company like Taylor Made is releasing about 6 new drivers every year.

As much as I dislike Tiger as a player, and a person, his impact on the game was huge. He brought in a pretty sizable market base to an industry that needed more diversity (not just race).

What is surprising is the popularity of Golf in Asia, especially Korea, Australia, and Africa is a on a pretty big upswing.

Yes and courses are closing in record numbers. There were 174 golf courses that closed in the U.S. in 2014, it looks to be more by the end of 2015 (won't have the 2015 numbers until the PGA show in January).

But, you've met Woods? I can only assume you have by saying you don't like him as a person.

 

[linkshero]

Yes and courses are closing in record numbers. There were 174 golf courses that closed in the U.S. in 2014, it looks to be more by the end of 2015 (won't have the 2015 numbers until the PGA show in January).

But, you've met Woods? I can only assume you have by saying you don't like him as a person.

I have.....

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Notice the timing. Garden variety Insurance Arson.

Record wet summer had the Midwest golfing industry reeling.

That course was not strong financially going into this summer FWIW.

 

[cndyman]

I was in the golf industry about 20 years ago....had been around it all my life growing up. I worked at a club in Des Moines for 3 years after college.....we had over 400 members and the membership was very active. The private club business model is not sustainable anymore. We didn't have all the activities that kids do now.....so parents that can maybe afford to join a club, just don't have the time.....I would put my wife and I in that same group....I would love to do it, but I just don't have the time to play often enough for it to make financial sense. So, what is happening.....the clubs are depending on that aging group that doesn't have kids at home anymore....and they lose a handful each year, get replaced by families that go gun ho the first couple months they join.....then start getting the bills!!!! Slows them way down....and they last a year or two. I have a couple buddies that went to a club...tried to warn them....everyone has to learn firsthand I guess.

 

[cndyman]

....and yes, the timing of this fire and the apparent financial situation seems fishy.

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

I could never cure my wicked slice.Leisure activities are supposed to be fun and enjoyable.All I got was pissed off at my golf game.
That's probably a good reason why golf courses might be in decline.People see it on tv and think it will be a fun thing to do,until they spend all that money to figure out they really suck at golf.

 

[NLhawk62]

I could never cure my wicked slice.Leisure activities are supposed to be fun and enjoyable.All I got was pissed off at my golf game.
That's probably a good reason why golf courses might be in decline.People see it on tv and think it will be a fun thing to do,until they spend all that money to figure out they really suck at golf.

I have a buddy who's making his way up the USGA ladder out on the east coast in New Jersey and he says the exact same thing. The tour guys are so good on TV that it's ruining the game for the average joes. The USGA is trying to pull every string and promotion to make the game more enjoyable for everybody (other than changing the rules). Whether it has been working or not has yet to be seen.

Everything I've heard about Amana over the past few months makes the timing of this fire seem very fishy indeed. Anybody know when it stopped storming last night? Possible lighting casualty?

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

I'm not a great or even good player; but I haven't found too many places I can drink and drive without getting arrested. Not to mention that open containers are all but encouraged.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

I have a buddy who's making his way up the USGA ladder out on the east coast in New Jersey and he says the exact same thing. The tour guys are so good on TV that it's ruining the game for the average joes. The USGA is trying to pull every string and promotion to make the game more enjoyable for everybody (other than changing the rules). Whether it has been working or not has yet to be seen.

Combine that with the fact that a round takes 4-8 hours, depending where you play, and you lose an entire day. That's a lot of time for people with kids and other activities to devote to one event.

What's killing it right now are places like Topgolf.

 

[joelbc1]

Firefighters are on the scene of a fire at the Amana Colonies Golf Club, 451 U Avenue.

Crews from several departments responded around 3:40 a.m. to the clubhouse. The entire building was engulfed when TV9 arrived on the scene.

Firefighters initially held back and were unable to approach the fire due to the intensity of the flames.

Thick smoke covered the scene around 5:30 a.m. as firefighters finished putting out the fire around that time.

There was severe damage to the walls and roof, making the building likely a total loss.

A sheriff’s deputy and firefighters on the scene said there were no injuries injuries as a result of the fire.

Crews on the scene said both the severity of the fire and its remote location — far from fire hydrants — required the assistance of four total departments.

Officials said around 6:30 a.m. they would likely remain at the site for several more hours to watch for hot spots and begin the investigation into how the fire started.

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/fire-at-amana-colonies-golf-club-20151106

Hopefully the insurance papers and the mortgage papers were stored separately. This is a dangerous combination....lots of spontaneous combustion fires have occurred from such sloppy storage practices.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Amana has been for sale for years. $3mm last I knew.

 

[bdg8]

Had nothing to do with weather.

The industry is in trouble, but will seek a corrected level.

I have inside info that Dicks is in the process of closing all Golf Galaxy's. They bought the chain in 2006, and at some point, was doing over $300 million out of those boxes. In addition, they have mini Golf stores within their stores. I'm not sure where over a quarter billion dollars in retail sales goes to, but it's not good. It really doesn't help when a company like Taylor Made is releasing about 6 new drivers every year.

As much as I dislike Tiger as a player, and a person, his impact on the game was huge. He brought in a pretty sizable market base to an industry that needed more diversity (not just race).

What is surprising is the popularity of Golf in Asia, especially Korea, Australia, and Africa is a on a pretty big upswing.

Didn't Dick's already lay off all of their dedicated in store golf staff that worked in the Dick's locations

 

[SailorJerryHawk]

I'm not a great or even good player; but I haven't found too many places I can drink and drive without getting arrested. Not to mention that open containers are all but encouraged.

Even drinking while golfing just pissed me off.I figured,Hey Jerry?,why waste money on all this golf crap,when I could just stay home and have more money for booze.

 

[NLhawk62]

Combine that with the fact that a round takes 4-8 hours, depending where you play, and you lose an entire day. That's a lot of time for people with kids and other activities to devote to one event.

What's killing it right now are places like Topgolf.

Yep, round times are the biggest problem in the game today by far, especially when courses are filled with hacks and wannabes taking 15 minutes on every green. USGA 2014 campaign was "While We're Young", which really emphasized ready golf and playing the right tee boxes. This year's campaign was "Play 9", which needs no explanation.

 

[Run&Blade]

Traveling kids leagues for soccer baseball eat hurt it a lot.

If your weekends are not free why bother paying all that money to join.

I bet it would be hell to get a bank to loan money to build a course in today's environment.

The Harvester course has to be hurting. In the middle of nowhere and I don't see a lot of people playing when I drive by.

 

[hexumhawk]

Maybe there are just too many courses for the demand?

 

[HawkMFT]

Traveling kids leagues for soccer baseball eat hurt it a lot.

If your weekends are not free why bother paying all that money to join.

I bet it would be hell to get a bank to loan money to build a course in today's environment.

The Harvester course has to be hurting. In the middle of nowhere and I don't see a lot of people playing when I drive by.

I just checked the rates to make sure it's still as overpriced as always. Yep, $129 to play a course in Iowa is stupid. This is part of the reason I quit playing. Had a single digit handicap but the time involved (once kids came along) and cost priced me out of the game. Now am happy to take my kid to Sugar Creek a few times a summer (and that's close to $60 for both of us to play 9 on a Sunday, even with his junior discount).

Played Amana once or twice on my way out of being a regular golfer. Would never go back because I found it to be ridiculously difficult.

 

[LuteHawk]

In some metro-areas, there was an overbuilding of golf
courses about 20 years ago. Now, only the fittest survive.
A city of 100,000 can only support so many golf courses,
If there is not enough demand today, then some will close..

 

[Greenway4Prez]

The golf industry is still reeling from the huge boom of the late 90's-early 2000's. Courses were overbuilt, and everyone wanted to one-up each other as the "next great championship venue". Not only do those kinds of designs turn off the casual player, but they are incredibly expensive to maintain. So then what you have are courses that used to be great, but have had to cut costs to the point where quality suffers mightily.

Places like Saddleback Ridge, Otter Creek, The Falls in Larchwood, etc. have a great model for public golf courses to follow. Aesthetically pleasing, fun layouts that aren't too much of a challenge, that are also pretty easy to maintain. A former colleague is at The Falls, and they blew away their projected budget numbers this year. That course is going to do VERY well.

Honestly, and hexum touched on it, but there are too many courses, at least in the Midwest. The weather DID play a factor in the struggles this year, though.

 

[joelbc1]

In some metro-areas, there was an overbuilding of golf
courses about 20 years ago. Now, only the fittest survive.
A city of 100,000 can only support so many golf courses,
If there is not enough demand today, then some will close..

However, it is a boon to golfers. It was a screw-up by a lot of "developers" who wanted the quick dollar. Some of them got out neatly by selling local town councils a lot...and I mean a lot of blue sky. Bos Landen sound familiar? It was a good idea built about 10 years too late.

 

[95Hawk]

 

[HawkMFT]

However, it is a boon to golfers. It was a screw-up by a lot of "developers" who wanted the quick dollar. Some of them got out neatly by selling local town councils a lot...and I mean a lot of blue sky. Bos Landen sound familiar? It was a good idea built about 10 years too late.

Another track that was overrated from day one.

 

[joelbc1]

Another track that was overrated from day one.

It has been a boon to Central College golf. But initially, it was over built, I agree. I haven't been back there in 10 years and have no plans to, either.

 

[HallofFame]

Maybe there are just too many courses for the demand?

Good I hope they all close. I hate golf guy.

 

[Pinehawk]

Thanks Obama!

 

[linkshero]

I just checked the rates to make sure it's still as overpriced as always. Yep, $129 to play a course in Iowa is stupid. This is part of the reason I quit playing. Had a single digit handicap but the time involved (once kids came along) and cost priced me out of the game. Now am happy to take my kid to Sugar Creek a few times a summer (and that's close to $60 for both of us to play 9 on a Sunday, even with his junior discount).

Played Amana once or twice on my way out of being a regular golfer. Would never go back because I found it to be ridiculously difficult.

Harvester has been in financial trouble pretty much since the beginning. Last time I played there it was a ghost town. I asked DJ why they didn't change the model, lower the price, and increase play. He said they didn't want more play on it.

Briarwood has also struggled for years.

Otter Creek is not doing great. They made it too difficult for the core golfer that used to play there.

Time is one of the biggest factors impacting golf. It's why the PGA and The Golf Channel did a huge run on pace of play this spring. As society speeds up, they won't tolerate an 18 hole round and all that goes with it.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Just this past week a course closed in the Tulsa area, Clary Fields. Shame, never even played it. Just from kinda window-shopping it appeared like a really interesting course. Heck, any course with name "Fields" in it I'm predisposed to liking. Just sounds intriguing, even it is only a name.

So now there are some crazy good rates out there, and especially through golfnow.com. One course last month ran lots of $21 rates including cart, range balls, "a meal", and a drink. Maybe it was just a dog and coke, but still. Hopefully that course can hang on.

I really am sad about CF, it's like a friend I never met ... and never will, sniff, sniff.


Clary Fields
2000 - 2015

RIP

 

[joelbc1]

Harvester has been in financial trouble pretty much since the beginning. Last time I played there it was a ghost town. I asked DJ why they didn't change the model, lower the price, and increase play. He said they didn't want more play on it.

Briarwood has also struggled for years.

Otter Creek is not doing great. They made it too difficult for the core golfer that used to play there.

Time is one of the biggest factors impacting golf. It's why the PGA and The Golf Channel did a huge run on pace of play this spring. As society speeds up, they won't tolerate an 18 hole round and all that goes with it.

Personally, I think Otter Creek did it right. It's a very playa

 

[Herkmeister]

Had nothing to do with weather.

The industry is in trouble, but will seek a corrected level.

I have inside info that Dicks is in the process of closing all Golf Galaxy's. They bought the chain in 2006, and at some point, was doing over $300 million out of those boxes. In addition, they have mini Golf stores within their stores. I'm not sure where over a quarter billion dollars in retail sales goes to, but it's not good. It really doesn't help when a company like Taylor Made is releasing about 6 new drivers every year.

As much as I dislike Tiger as a player, and a person, his impact on the game was huge. He brought in a pretty sizable market base to an industry that needed more diversity (not just race).

What is surprising is the popularity of Golf in Asia, especially Korea, Australia, and Africa is a on a pretty big upswing.

You must be in the golf business.

 

[joelbc1]

Harvester has been in financial trouble pretty much since the beginning. Last time I played there it was a ghost town. I asked DJ why they didn't change the model, lower the price, and increase play. He said they didn't want more play on it.

Briarwood has also struggled for years.

Otter Creek is not doing great. They made it too difficult for the core golfer that used to play there.

Time is one of the biggest factors impacting golf. It's why the PGA and The Golf Channel did a huge run on pace of play this spring. As society speeds up, they won't tolerate an 18 hole round and all that goes with it.

You know, across the pond, two-somes (alternate shot) is played quite exclusively at prime times. It is common to have EXCLUSIVE clubs block off 2 hours in the AM and PM for alternate shot golf only. The expectation is a game to be completed in 3 hrs. and 15 mins.....Try it...it is a fun game.

 

[Herkmeister]

Maybe there are just too many courses for the demand?

You took Econ in college didn't you?

 

[Herkmeister]

She is HOT!!

 

[linkshero]

You must be in the golf business.

Used to be. Do consulting there now.

You know, across the pond, two-somes (alternate shot) is played quite exclusively at prime times. It is common to have EXCLUSIVE clubs block off 2 hours in the AM and PM for alternate shot golf only. The expectation is a game to be completed in 3 hrs. and 15 mins.....Try it...it is a fun game.

I play a decent amount of alternate here. Love it.