The Decline and Fall of Recreational Golf
Filed in archive Golf Business on February 26, 2008
What constitutes a hard core golfer today? The guy or gal willing to play in a downpour? The weekend duffer who drives two hours to play a track he hasn't experienced before but has heard about?
Nope. According to the National Golf Foundation, which speaks for the recreational golf industry, the core golfer today is someone who plays 8 rounds a year.
8 rounds. That's it. Just 8 circuits and you qualify as the heart and soul of recreational golf.
Yes, the bar is indeed being lowered. As fast and as far as the numbers of golfers. We are a dying breed according to the National Golf Foundation.
Millions of golfers each year become ex-golfers. And we know how the NGF and other organizations like the National Golf Course Owners Association are struggling to find ways to attract new, younger players into the game.
The industry brain trust is scratching its head trying to figure out just why millions quit the game every year and why we're left with a situation where someone who plays 8 rounds over 365 days is the beating heart of recreational golf.
A few days ago, Paul Vitello from The New York Times wrote a story that tries to sort out the problem.
It doesn't. The problem has more than one cause. But I don't believe the most popular notion that a round of golf takes up too much time. We can't afford 5 hours outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine surrounded by natural (and some man-made) beauty?
I don't buy the time thing. If anything, it's probably more financial than anything else. And that would certainly be a barrier to young people entering the game. A skateboard or even an Xbox 360 costs less than your average set of irons.
Take a look at the Swedish solution; that country's golf industry has aimed its product at families. And look at how many Swedish touring pros are on men's and women's tours around the world. It's staggering.
The U.K. has adopted a similar plan to the Swedish model. You can find their strategies for growing the game here. You'll need Adobe to open it.
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Response from:
patricia
(02/28/08 12:54am)
Response from:
Chris
(02/28/08 10:30am)
You're right on the money, Patricia! Some very good ideas. You know, I think many people hear that golf is a hard game to learn and therefore don't bother. They've also heard it's expensive. So what the industry might also do is promote dirt-cheap lessons with accredited pros and run such programs at municipal courses across the country. Therefore, the cost of trying out the game is minimal. Couple that with 10 rounds of golf at a facility for half the price of regular greens fees.
Response from:
Mark
(02/28/08 6:00pm)
What really needs to be done to up the rounds and to draw more youngsters in to the game is build more courses that are in the 4000-5000 yard range. Built specifically for kids and or with their parents to go and have a good time together. Making a round of golf a family outing would surely draw more people as well as put the game out there for all members of the family not just Dad. This in turn with adjusted fee's would give more kids access to the game.
As for second hand clubs ? The maunufacturers have done such a good job of selling gear to us the mind set has been created that only new will do. Maybe one of the big box boys will take trades when new clubs are purchased and fit them for kids. AND don't give me any of that "they're too heavy" garbage. Up until a few years ago every kid who learned to play, learned on a set of Dad's or Mom's cut downs.
Sometime the golf industry is going to have to realise that soaking the avg. Joe for $80.00 - $150.00 to play a round of golf is going to lead to their own ruin.
I seem to remember ClubLink had a fee for Parent and child rounds. Kid played for free. At least that was a start.
Personally, if I found a great demand for junior lessons I would lower my fee. It just isn't there yet.
I spent summer's in my youth at a course in the Peterborough area named Tamarac Golf Club. My memebership for the year was $20.00 my Dad's was $35.00. That was 1972. My buddy and I spent many a day from sun up 'till sun down playing around at that track. We would be dropped off by one of our parents around 7 am and picked up again when it was dark. We played a couple rounds of golf made up games to play against each other on and around the putting green and ate the best burgers around for lunch. It was great. I wish more youngsters could have that experience. But I guess the $20.00 membership is long gone.
As for second hand clubs ? The maunufacturers have done such a good job of selling gear to us the mind set has been created that only new will do. Maybe one of the big box boys will take trades when new clubs are purchased and fit them for kids. AND don't give me any of that "they're too heavy" garbage. Up until a few years ago every kid who learned to play, learned on a set of Dad's or Mom's cut downs.
Sometime the golf industry is going to have to realise that soaking the avg. Joe for $80.00 - $150.00 to play a round of golf is going to lead to their own ruin.
I seem to remember ClubLink had a fee for Parent and child rounds. Kid played for free. At least that was a start.
Personally, if I found a great demand for junior lessons I would lower my fee. It just isn't there yet.
I spent summer's in my youth at a course in the Peterborough area named Tamarac Golf Club. My memebership for the year was $20.00 my Dad's was $35.00. That was 1972. My buddy and I spent many a day from sun up 'till sun down playing around at that track. We would be dropped off by one of our parents around 7 am and picked up again when it was dark. We played a couple rounds of golf made up games to play against each other on and around the putting green and ate the best burgers around for lunch. It was great. I wish more youngsters could have that experience. But I guess the $20.00 membership is long gone.
Response from:
Chris
(02/29/08 6:47pm)
Geez, Mark, I never knew you were that old! $20 memberships!! Wow!!!
But I agree with you; fees for kids need to be low enough to promote interest - from Mom and Dad. They can do it in Sweden...
But I agree with you; fees for kids need to be low enough to promote interest - from Mom and Dad. They can do it in Sweden...
Response from:
Norman Madrigali
(04/30/09 2:33pm)
I agree with Mark that in the future golf courses should be constructed with the family in mind. All of these courses that have been constructed are for some reason designed to be replicas of the courses that the pros play, and the green fees are absolutely ridiculous. Golf needs to re-discover the average player who has a limited budget. It would also help if the PGA, USGA, and other golf associations would try and get the youth of today to take up the sport of golf. Young people of today seem to be only interested in computer games and indoor activities.
Response from:
Joe Ciccone
(01/25/10 7:52pm)
I guess I'm lucky in that I waited until I retired and moved to Florida before starting to play. Prices here are reasonable in season and cheap as dirt if you can take the heat in summer. I've been playing since April 2008....we usually play twice a week.....I shoot between 95 and 105 most days....I'll be 70 in July.
I also play doubles tennis several mornings a week and bowl in leagues on Tue & Wed afternoons....
I also play doubles tennis several mornings a week and bowl in leagues on Tue & Wed afternoons....
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I think it's important for more golfers to become evangelists for the sport make it a point to get others into the game. The message should be communicated that one can begin with second-hand less expensive equipment. That one can and should play nine holes and par three and that you don't have to be that good at all to get out on a course you just have to know and respect the etiquette regarding pace of play.