A “Dallas Morning News” writer set out to measure the impact a golf course can have on urban revitalization, and came away impressed with the positive impact one Atlanta course has had over the past 20 years.
Incomes in the community surrounding East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta have doubled since 1990, noted writer Tod Robberson. In an editorial printed by the “Morning News,” and then reported on by “Club and Resort Business” magazine, Robberson found:
“In 1990, per-capita income for a one-mile radius surrounding the club was $7,174. The first Census after the renovation was 2000. By then, per capita income stood at $15,700—more than double, and representing a whopping 8.15 percent annual growth rate. According to the latest Census figures, per capita income stands at $16,686. There is no other major feature in East Lake that would explain such a dramatic jump in household incomes.”
Robberson’s final conclusion?
“Urban golf course ventures can and do affect downtrodden neighborhoods for the better.”
The entire “Club and Resort Business” article can be found here.