Business Pulse

Industry Report – Golf In Whatcom County
Mike Montgomery (left), the director of golf, gives General Manager Trent McAllister some putting tips...their course hosted 45,000
rounds last year. (Staff Photo)
Bellingham Golf & Country Club
The Old Guard of local
golf, Bellingham Golf
and Country Club (founded
1912) has rallied gradually
over the last two years.
“Last year was a very
positive year,” said Trent
McAllister, who grew up
on the course and started
work at the club in 1988 as
a 12-year-old and worked
his way up to become the
general manager in 2010.
He reported more than 45,000
rounds played during 2013, and
profits up 10-12 percent.
The country-club model differs
from other county courses.
Bellingham G&CC is memberowned,
managed by a board of
directors, and golf provides only
about 40 percent of the business.
Dining for club members, banquets,
events, and catering makes
up about 40 percent. Club amenities
like swimming lessons, the
workout facility, and others earns
the rest.
Also, the club has fewer golfers
from Canada than most
other courses – about 8 percent,
McAllister estimated.
BG&CC foresaw a rosy and
robust future back in 2005. On
Valentine’s Day the demolition
crews razed the clubhouse, and
it reopened the next November
in grand style. “It provided a big
spark,” McAllister said. “We were
quite active, and the golf course
was full.”
Then 2008 happened, and the
club became more vulnerable than
most. “A country club is a luxury
item. It’s the common tale of private
clubs…the most expedient
thing to cut.”
The club added about 200
social/golf memberships attributable
to a “resurgence of young
executives, players under 40, that
we marketed to,” McAllister said.
That target market included a
reduction in monthly cost by more
62 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM