"But if that's all he lost over there last year, that's terrific."

I've made a decision to not track all of the course closings and fire sales, but I couldn't help notice this Bill Wilson story on the re-opening of Nick Faldo's much-hyped Cottonwood Hills near Prairie Dunes. Apparently the course closed in December for a debt restructuring.

The course lost $125,000 last year, Neville said, necessitating its closing. Staffers were laid off and telephones disconnected.

"Unusual? Well, yes and no," said Chris Tuohey, the general manager of Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton.

"I can see some courses doing that from a feasibility standpoint. Golf courses in the off-season lose money, and from a service level standpoint, it could be challenging.... But if that's all he lost over there last year, that's terrific."