"Energy costs are going up, and the cost of fertilizer has doubled in the last two years"

Matthew Rudy pens a lengthy examination of the state of the golf industry for Golf Digest and Businessweek. I didn't finish it yet, because I can see there's a lot in it worth considering. Starting with this...

This sophisticated research shows that course operators are facing problems more complicated than just a reduced flow of customers. Courses' peak fees have gone up at the same rate as inflation, but off-peak rates -- which account for a majority of the rounds played -- increased 33 percent more than the CPI. In other words, prices have risen even in the face of flat or reduced demand. That doesn't bode well for attracting new and younger golfers in a weak economy. "Energy costs are going up, and the cost of fertilizer has doubled in the last two years," says Longitudes President Sara Killeen. "Course operators had to raise rates or go under -- and the number of daily-fee courses has dropped 2.5 percent in five years. They're feeling it from all sides. The successful ones are working very hard on their business 365 days a year and managing the details very astutely."

I'm thinking (hoping?) one of those details might be less fertilizer if indeed it's doubled in cost? Or are we going to go down with the ship making sure that turf is pumped up on stuff?