Creve Coeur Looks To Try Out "Groupon" For Golf

Weather permitting, anyone hoping to hit the links at the will be able to use carts sometime this week. The nine hole course has seen customers since last month's round of unseasonably warm weather, and for those die-hard duffers, was open for business Monday even after severe weather wreaked havoc on trees in the area. Under a new program, the course hopes to attract another round of customers through what some might call "Groupon For Golf."

If given final approval by city council, the Creve Coeur Golf Course would join a network of courses that allows the Golf Channel-owned GolfNow.com to schedule tee times that would otherwise go unused, at a discount. "There may be a 1 o'clock in the afternoon time that usually just sits empty," said city Parks and Recreation Director Fran Thies. "GolfNow can take these and post them on their site and try to get a bigger audience at a last minute-rate to come in and use them so we’re looking for some of those customers we’ve never had before to use times that would go unused."

Under the agreement, GolfNow would be able to book one tee time for each day the city uses the site and would receive all of the revenue from that round. The city would take whatever other revenue is generated through GolfNow traffic on that day. Golfers would pay a $1.50 surcharge if they book through GolfNow. The agreement requires city council approval because golf course administrators need the ability to charge flexible rates, depending on the day, time, weather and other conditions.

The ordinance found a supportive council Monday night for the bill's first reading. "Everybody's doing it, all the way out to Wright City. You've got to fill the holes," said Ward Three Councilman Bob Hoffman. GolfNow lists courses in Eureka, Wentzville, St. Peters and O'Fallon among more than thirty in the St. Louis area.

City officials hope the discounts, some off-season pruning that included getting rid of some trees, and a plan to cut the rough shorter this season, welcoming. "To the average golfer if he were to go left or right, which most golfers do, it’s a little more forgiving to where there might be more open shots for the average recreational golfer," said Tim Brinks, Assistant Director of Recreation.