Here I am again - there are questions we cannot know, and will not know, eg
..is the centre owner/operated? (Gets all the income and pays all the bills)
..is the centre leased at a huge lease figure, especially taking holidays into account? (So the holidays run at a loss but the bills still keep coming).
..how long has the centre been in current owner's hands? (Does the owner have a high interest bill/mortgage).
..is the centre run 90 hours a week by a sole operator?
..is the centre run by a Manager and staff?
..what are the conditions of the courts and who is responsible for the maintenance?
..how many fixture teams play interclub?
..does a social comp operate before interclub?
..how many juniors play at the centre?
..counter equipment sales, etc?

And, this list can go on and on.   The more the owner spends on the centre the better return that is expected.  And, there is more.......so there are lots of variables.
Viper, relax and enjoy the game - do what you can for your club and enjoy being part of a great sport.

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Yes I expect that retort !

And I had already formed that arguement in my mind, ie basically it sums up to "ROI"

And as you say in these current times the center is doing well just to stay profitable.

But this only floats for so long I believe, ie people who do stay in the sport have the option of the few old fashioned centers (I call them dumps to be honest) or the attractive option of bright, airy attractive facilities of the strong amalgamated squash venues - the ones that took all the members from the declining/closed down dumps in past years.

People in all sport these days have high expectations, (sport is a service industry now, like most other things) and I don't believe they will put up with these dank places, especially as the prices between the caverns and the boutique is next to nothing !

The courts I played on did not even have panels in the roof replaced with laserlight so the lights had to be on all day, which resulted in the least lights the owner could get away with which resulted in a yellow depressing cave ! ! 

I would say this center is holding their own due to very good service, and this good service is balancing the ugly venue, but for how long ?

I could not get over how depressing the place was to play in, no matter how good a service the operator offered I would not play squash there.

I think the retraction of the venues will continue and in part it will be due to these dank, dull squash centers, people these days want service and amenity.

Still it would interesting to see the P/L sheet of the dump to see if he is making a healthy profit inspite of the depressing venue.

 

 

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Viper small topics turn into big thoughts.
When courts were constructed in the 1970's players thought glass back courts looked like they were sitting/playing in a Show Case, and their shots and bodies were on display, so glass backs were only used when the others were full up.  Why?  Shyness, modesty, women's underwear, lack of skill, etc and only the "show ponies" felt it was ok.
Then came the glass all-in-one designs where centres could be on the one level without the upstairs gallery so construction was easier.  Some existing centres (8 court), made a couple of tournament courts by replacing the bricks with glass, and used those courts for exhibition matches and/or semis etc.
With an industry going through this "downturn" phase it is a bonus if the courts are clean, and nicely painted, and most of the centres have not been remodelled since they were built.   Notice shopping centres refurbish about every 10 years.  Besides, an owner is not going to revamp if the return on the investment is not viable.
As I see it, to modernise it would mean a structural change, insulation in ceilings, front walls maybe refaced (some have done it with a compressed fibro, that goes bonk, bonk when the ball hits the front wall), floor boards replaced, natural lighting incorporated, to save electricity in the daytime, especially for juniors and school physical education.
Then the Council steps in and bring in new requirements, eg residential/commercial area, hours of operation, sound-proofing, opening and closing hours, weekend trading, liquor laws, and the list goes on.  If the owner is still interested, it becomes a whole new "ball-game", espepcially when the costs make it almost cheaper to start all over again  Oh, so now a Loan is required, and the Bank has to get involved, stats produced, financials, etc...  So, now I bet you are sorry you brought up this topic!!
So here we go again, the number one issue is still about product, numbers, sales, occupancy, development, advertising, sponsorship, etc which convert to dollars.

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