The first time I heard the idea of fifteen-inch holes I rejected it. The idea was brought to the golf world’s attention by TaylorMade CEO Mark King as part of the “Hack Golf” initiative. I lean much more toward the traditionalist view of playing the game as it was intended. I reasoned that fifteen-inch holes would make a mockery of the game that I love very much.
Recently however, I had a conversation with a good friend who convinced me that there is a way to implement the larger hole and still keep the tradition of the game.
As golfers we must accept that our game’s growth has stalled. In fact, it’s not only stalled, but is going backward. The game is headed in reverse. My initial reaction on how to fix this growth problem comes in identifying the problems with the game today. The number one killer is slow play, or time. It just takes too long to finish a round of golf. Golf needs to be faster.
The second problem is poor instruction which causes golfers to take too long learning the game. It has been said on this site many times that golf is hard. Being hard itself is not bad. Run with me on this for a minute. If you had never heard of baseball and I gave you a bat and put even a high school pitcher on the mound, I guarantee you would not even touch one of his pitches, not regularly. So how do you teach someone to hit the ball? You start with the ball on a tee. You throw underhanded next, then work your way up to trying to hit the ball from a pitcher on the mound. The only way to do this in golf, prior to 2014, was to shorten the hole. I feel like a 390-yard par four is not all that different than a 430-yard par four when I was starting out. I needed four to five strokes to get to the green, and then once on the green it was an adventure to make any putt.
The proposal that I am making will not affect the traditionalist. They can play the course as it has always existed. My recommendation is this: three Sundays a month the course could put in a “family” green. This would be a temporary green short of the normal green. Place the fifteen-inch hole here. Now the children and all golfers new to the game can play to these much larger holes. Tee times for the larger holes can start at around eleven and a reduced rate can be applied to golfers who play these holes.
I believe that new golfers will not care about playing to the “real” green and will enjoy playing shorter holes with a giant hole to putt toward. Good golfers who are playing with new golfers can work on their chipping and try to chip in. For me, I am a decent golfer and I would not mind if playing with my kids or my wife playing to this much larger hole in an effort to help them enjoy the game more. If my daughter wanted to get serious about the game we could start playing the real hole on the green. Or, she could play to the 4.25″ hole when she’d gotten there within regulation+1 or +2, and to the big hole when she’d made a bit of a mess of the hole to that point.
The larger hole most definitely solves two of the major problems facing golf right now. Slow play and that the game is too dang hard for new players. By enlarging the hole and making it shorter golfers will finish holes faster, much faster. These larger holes barely necessitate the need to take the pin out of the hole. This will increase the speed of rounds. It obviously makes the game easier as well. You might even argue too easy but again if that is your feeling then you can start playing the real hole on the greens. People will have more fun and the game can grow with a new crop of golfers.
Golf instruction will still need to improve for the game to grow. The larger hole does not solve this problem. The PGA of America must look inwards for this solution. Many of the best teachers I have worked with are not PGA accredited and some of the worst I have worked with are PGA Teaching professionals of the year. The teaching system is broken and must be fixed. The larger hole does not address this problem, but let’s get things going in the right direction by trying to make the game a little easier.
I first rejected the idea of larger holes, but after a convincing argument by my friend I can now see the value of having using the larger hole idea brought forward by the TaylorMade CEO. I saw the change as something the whole game would have to adopt which I feel will push regular golfers like myself away from the game. Clearly it does not have to be that way, it can be a part time change done on “Family Days” and can help bring new players to the game.
Photo credits: © Margaret Gallagher.
Good article Michael. And its funny that I read this today … just yesterday while playing my local pitch and putt I saw that they had added a set of orange tee markers to each hole and an orange flag to each hole. The orange flags were off to the side or short of the regular greens on smaller greens. (Just fairway mowed short, nothing fancy) They actually went one step further and were using little tubs that were probably closer to 24″ diameter. I really wanted to play to a couple of them but was in a rush and wanted to get in my 9 holes before work. next time though, it looked like fun!!
I think the 24″ holes might be for this new game where they mix soccer and golf “FootGolf”. Basically you kick the soccer ball until you get it in the hole. I am still deciding if I would like this game. I like both games, so maybe I will like it, I probably need to try it before making a judgement.
If you have to say that an argument is convincing, it isn’t.
I disagree. The teebox system already has forward tees. This article seems an imbalanced pursuit and will remain so as long as forward tees are referred to as ladies or seniors tees, when the truth is that they are not, never have been and are actually not owned by those demographic groups. A second green? Hardly.. perhaps an even more forward tee. I just marvel at the avant garde solutions offered when neglecting fun that is such low hanging fruit. Address the issues related to segregating sex and age, and purify the “name the tee” games into a stroke related context and I would then hope that you see through my eyes that this is a tempest in a teapot. Though sexual and age segregation has deep cultural roots, you must agree with The King that one should take those hazards out of play and remember its just a game.
Golf is hard. But the final act of putting the ball into the hole is, relatively speaking, one of the easier parts of the game. Actually getting the ball from the tee to the green is where the vast majority of the difficulty and frustration lies. Larger holes do nothing to address that, and as such I remain unconvinced that they would ever gain traction as anything more than a novelty, and would contribute little to the growth of the game.
I was ready to hate this article but whatever… Like bowling with bumper lanes. Makes it fun for the whole family…heck even retarded children can knock down some pins. But then again, I don’t care if golf isn’t growing, because I’ll always play it and so will my golf buddies. that may be selfish but golf isn’t a team sport. Also, what sport is growing? Soccer? F#%* soccer… Tonites cardinals Dodgers game is proof that baseball is infinitely better than soccer. I would sooner have my kid deal crystal meth than play soccer.
As others have pointed out is putting really a difficult part of golf?
I am not a golf pro so I only have anecdotal evidence but all the beginner I have been with have less trouble with the putting stroke well versus the wood or iron stroke.
Seems to me a 15 inch hole does help to address the 10 or more strokes it will take a beginner to get the ball to the green.
IMHO the only reason King proposed this is because it is something that can be marketed. I mean marketing a shorter course is not very attention grabbing but a 15 inch hole well that is marketable. King is all about marketing period.
In addition:
1. Golf is never going to die. I for one don’t give a crap whether it is really shrinking or not.
2. I really question that golf is really struggling. Like I have said before one of the private courses in my town, Capilano Golf Club in West Vancouver, has a wait list of at least 8 years for full play men AND the initiation fee is at least $90k. At my club there is a wait list of 30 for full play men.
3. How much is the decline in golfers related to the baby boomers? As in the fact they were responsible for the increase over the last 10 to 15 years and now that they are getting older it is natural that there be a decrease.
4. How much is the struggles facing some residential golf courses related to the real estate troubles of the last 5 years? How many courses were developed only to sell house and demand from golfers were not taken into consideration?
IMHO a 15 inch hole does NOTHING except to garner attention to King and his companies.
There is no need to dig a larger hole out of the greens. Just use the existing hole, and draw a 2′ chalk ring around it. Any putt that stops inside the ring would be considered holed out. I saw this done on a course a few weeks ago for a special event. It would serve the same purpose, and make life easier for the greens keeper.
I agree with the people saying that the 15″ holes will NOT speed up the game very much. The issue for most people is definitely getting off the tee and to the green. I spend my years learning my swing on my local par 3 courses and then graduated myself to a “big course.”
In my opinion, what is contributing to slow play is high handicappers having a very long pre shot ruitine. Do you think that it matters if they have 2, 3, 4 practice swings when they are hitting the ball 10-20 yards? It’s not helping. 1 practice swing and hit the ball!
This still isnt an answer to the problem. I just this year took the step to being able to strike the ball somewhat reliably. It is embarrassing and discouraging to duff, top slice and shank the ball for 10+ shots on the way to the green. However, even the first time I went golfing once I was finally on the green I breathed a sigh of relief. Even as a total beginner I knew I was not going to miss the ball with my putter. I knew the ball would go in the basic direction I intended it to and I knew if it took me 1or 2 extra puts that they would only take a few seconds each instead of a couple minutes to go find the ball. As a beginner the place that I was the closest in skill level to my bogie golfing friends was the green.
I am certainly not a country club traditionalist that feels that any changes to the game are sacrilege. I just don’t think a 15 inch hole solves anything.
As a former golf course worker, I don’t even want to think about the logistics of moving a 15 inch hole. On a wet green, the plug starts to fall apart. I can’t imagine the weight of a 15 inch plug. It might make golf fun for some, but it would be a nightmare for the greens crew.
I would agree with this change along with others to speed up play and make it more enjoyable for the average person.
Make the ball a little bigger so it doesn’t go as far and courses could be shorter. The larger ball also spins less as in less slicing.
I would like to see no rules on equipment let’s see some real innovation.
The pros who are the best players in the world could continue to compete by the traditional rules.
I don’t think that the game needs to sustain the unnatural growth rate that was seen through the “Tiger years”. I played a round at my club in 3 hours and 35 minutes this morning, so slow play is not a huge problem for me. I think the issue is keeping existing players, not growing the game.
Enlarging the hole will do nothing for that.
Junior golf is the key to growing the game. Making it easier is not IMHO.
David in FL is right on the mark. For the new golfer putting is the easiest part of the game…..and often the most fun. No matter how far forward the tees, most new golfers find that hitting the ball off the tee, down the fairway, and onto the green seems almost impossible at first. So if the purpose of oversized holes is to keep new golfers in the game, it just don’t get it.
It doesn’t mean people can’t have fun hitting a ball into a huge hole, but the same people would probably have fun putting into a normal hole too. However, take away the putter and give the new golfer a driver, FW, hybrid, or iron and watch the “frustration meter” skyrocket.
Another agree for David in FL. This sounds crazy to me. Has the person who came up with this idea even played golf in the midst of newbies recently? Putting is the LEAST of the problem, in terms of both difficulty and pace of play.
And newbies and children, for the most part, aren’t the major offenders in slow play . .not from what I see. Sure, every once in a while I’ll get stuck behind a foursome of people who obviously don’t play a lot and have no idea what they’re doing or that other people are getting annoyed by how long it’s taking . .but far more often, it’s guys who’ve been playing a while and might even be decent . .but just play waay tooo slooow.
@1NatsFan I think you are correct about junior golf. Yet what if we started kids out playing baseball the same way the pros play baseball. Wooden bats, huge fields, the whole deal. Kids would never get started. They would quit pretty quickly. We start them on small fields, a softer ball, aluminum batts, and put the ball on a tee. In other words we start with training wheels, why not for golf?
Michael, I don’t disagree with your sentiment that beginners should be given a break. I’ve played plenty of courses where they had junior tees set up in the fairway around the 150 markers. I also think that it’s ok to let beginners use a hand wedge out of the sand if they’re not comfortable hitting out of it yet.
But as others have said, I don’t think the size of the hole is a bit obstacle. Most kids have played putt-putt, and it has normal sized holes.
I think course design could make a big difference.
Larger greens that have a large flat area closer to the tee and the back area being more challenging utilizing two pins of different colors to allow a golfer to choose the appropriate level might work. That being said, putting is not the issue, even a rookie can three putt most holes, a pro can do this as well. A rookie wont hit the green in regulation and this means at least an extra 18 shots per round at the least.
I would support the rough and fairway being the same length to allow a player in the trees to find their ball and not waste time. this would make a big difference.
Can technology make an impact? Do club and ball manufacturers have the ability to give a more accurate shot but with less distance? This does not seem marketable as we all love length but by in conjunction with shorter tees may be worth considering.
Michael can you please expand on your comment – “The larger hole most definitely solves two of the major problems facing golf right now. Slow play and that the game is too dang hard for new players. By enlarging the hole and making it shorter golfers will finish holes faster, much faster. These larger holes barely necessitate the need to take the pin out of the hole. This will increase the speed of rounds. It obviously makes the game easier as well. You might even argue too easy but again if that is your feeling then you can start playing the real hole on the greens. People will have more fun and the game can grow with a new crop of golfers.”
How will it speed up the game if it still takes the beginner many many shots to just get the ball onto the green? All of the beginner golfers that I have ever played with took way more strokes to get to the green than putts on the green. And the time it takes to take out and replace the pin … well the group can just decide to not take out the pin. I know this is against the rules but the beginners are not likely to be posting their scores anyways.
The actual size of the hole will obviously make it easier to sink but as many others have pointed out putting is not that hard. Unless the green is severely sloped and full of undulations and in that case it will still be hard for the beginner even with a 15″ hole.
As to the comment of making the game easier (ie. like T ball for beginning baseball). Isn’t that what pitch and putt courses or Par 3 courses are for? Also in my area there are courses call “executive length” courses. They are usually around 3,000 yards for 18 holes.
Putting a raw beginner golfer on a championship 18 course is like as you pointed out putting a beginning baseball player against a high school pitcher in a regulation sized ball park. So it seems to me that changing a regular length 18 hole course for beginners is not necessary as their are other courses that would cater better to a beginner.
I was just in Vegas and played at Angel Park. It is a pubic facility with 2 full length 18 hole courses. A 12 hole par 3 course and a 9 hole natural grass putting course. Seems to me the whole family can play at the putting course when the kids are very young, then progress to the par 3 course and finally the 18 hole course.
Finally as caniac6 pointed out – “As a former golf course worker, I don’t even want to think about the logistics of moving a 15 inch hole. On a wet green, the plug starts to fall apart. I can’t imagine the weight of a 15 inch plug. It might make golf fun for some, but it would be a nightmare for the greens crew.” 15″ holes may not be practical from a course maintenance point of view.
So it seems to me that the solutions are already at hand.
Have beginners start at a putting course. Then progress to a Par 3 course and then to an Executive length course.
As for making putting easier. It has been my experience that the putting greens on the Par 3 and Executive length courses are usually very flat and easy to putt on. To me putting is not an issue on those courses which the beginners should start out on.
The reason golf is slow is the people that play it. Once you have a larger hole people will take longer over 30 foot puts as they will see these as one putts. The game will not really speed up. This weekend we played a comp and the group in front lost a hole on those ahead. We waited on nearly every shot. Until you get clubs to apply the basic etiquette into the rule that you will keep up with those in front you wont change the problem.
Numbers of golfers are down, partly as Tiger plays less and wins less and the wave of new golf he bought dies down. There may be other reasons but golf was no quicker before he came along and speed of play is not the issue. Golf has to accept that it may have a little slump in numbers as all things in life swing up and down (excuse the pun) retain the game as it is, don’t meddle when there is no real problem.
You could lose thousands who like the game the way it is through frustration of the growth in the new format taking up the courses, and then if it turns out to be a fad dies after a couple of summers you could lose in both ways. It ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Here’s a thought… don’t play golf if you’re in a hurry or have somewhere you must be afterward. Golf, for most of us, is meant to be a relaxing time outside with friends. Yes, I try to score as low as possible and yes, I still get frustrated if I’m not playing up to the level I know I’m capable, but at the end of the day, I still enjoy being outside playing a game w/ friends.
That said, I agree w/ most people here that putting is certainly NOT the problem for beginners or those w/ a lower skill level. Topping drives, chunking irons, s*****ing wedges and thinning chips over the green are the real problem. However I do agree with one sentiment of the author, proper instruction is not readily attainable for most players… which leads to all the issues listed above.
Putting doesn’t frustrate people. GETTING to the green is the problem. A larger hole doesn’t fix that. Make the fairways the size of an airport if you want people to enjoy easy golf.
If anything. Have two flags on each green. One pink flag with the large hole and a regulation hole on the other side of the green. Pick the type of hole you want to play, just like you’d choose what tee to play from.
I didn’t have time to read all of these comments, but I am in general agreement with the it-won’t-really-speed-up-the-game-or-draw-more-players camp. As far as training wheels go, Par Three courses are the answer for that. I’ve been playing golf for about a year and a half, dropped my handicap index from 35 to 24 in the last eight months. I play once a week on our local 18-hole Par Three course, and about once a week on a regulation course. Putting is not the major problem of beginners I’ve seen…it’s getting to the green, especially on long holes.
A couple weeks ago, Long Beach sponsored a big-hole tournament that I played in, and it was fun. Goofy, but fun. I think most players were better than me. Only one player out of 64 got a hole-in-one all night, but there were many, many, many birdies! It was touted as a way to speed up play, and make it easier to learn, of course. The big holes were on the same green but back of the small holes, and they remain there today; they’re apparently here to stay, and they don’t move them around.
Big holes won’t speed up play unless everyone is playing big holes, because we are always dependent on the group in front of us, and their pace of play. If my group is playing the big holes in order to get home for lunch, but the foursome in front of us is regular, we will wait on every tee.
The young people I know starting the game (older people too for that matter) want to play REAL golf, and we will train and practice and work on every aspect of our game including putting to small holes.
Very rarely do you see a rookie go to a course without a veteran. What I mean is that usually somebody who has logged more than a dozen rounds in their life goes with them. My best friend has decided to take up golf and although we’re both near our forties, he admitted that he didn’t want to go without somebody who knew what to do on a golf course. Now this sentiment isn’t shared by all and as with everything “to each his own” but if there isn’t formal instruction, there can still be On-the-Course training. Respect and etiquette are the most important things that need to be taught to new golfers.
We, as golf’s unofficial ambassadors, need to have a kind and caring teaching mentality when it comes to less than seasoned players. Impart our wisdom on those that are willing and leave those who aren’t to the Marshal.
Also, I think 15″ is WAAAAYYYY too big. An 6-8″ cup can do the same thing just do it on a weekday and maybe a Sat/Sun once a month. It won’t “solve” anything but it might bring some of us together so we might learn from each other.
As a Scot living in Germany, we are faced here with a different situation: golf is not the “people’s sport” it is in Scotland or the US, but very much an elite sport which is very expensive and has a “snobbish” stigma about it. Nevertheless, after the success of Bernhard Langer and, more recently, Martin Kaymer, there was an upturn in the number of people playing. Unfortunately, economic and time constraints have now reversed this, and clubs are having a struggle to maintain membership.
Having said that, I would agree that putting is not the deterrent or source of frustration to new players: our club does a lot to interest people in the game, including “Golfer & Friends” competitions in which the regular golfer teams up with a novice. The golfer plays from tee to green, and the novice gets to hole out. I thought at first that this would be boring for the novices, but it turns out they love it! It makes them feel part of the team, and in the last competition I played in the worst novice averaged 3 putts per hole, which is not so far away from what the professionals achieve. In other words: putting (even to the existing hole) is more likely to give them an experience of success and get them interested than any other part of the game.
Some of the clubs round here have par 3 courses for those learning to play, which are accessible to anyone, with or without a handicap certificate (very strict in Germany). I agree with all those who say that the shorter holes are more attractive to new players – I remember when starting out I really looked forward to par 3s, because I didn’t look as bad as on the longer holes. It would take some investment, but I think clubs should emulate this and add even a few short holes on a second course, finances and space permitting.
One more point to those who say they don’t care of golf is growing or not. As long as you have plenty of money, I can see you wouldn’t be affected too much. But consider this: I went to the South of Scotland for a week recently and talked to a club secretary. He told me that – for a regional population of just under 200,000 people, there were 25 golf clubs, many of whom were struggling. This particular club was having to let 1 of its 3 greemkeepers go, the start of what will probably be a downward spiral. So, if we want golf to remain a sport for the people, and not revert to an elitist pursuit, we need to make it easier for new players to get into the game.
Have to say… not a fan of the larger holes. >In my opinion< the problem lies in failing instruction. If people's technique was better, we wouldn't have to keep looking for ways to make the game easier… to accommodate for incorrect technique. I think people really do want to understand what the correct technique to play this game, is. The game is very technical and understanding how the physics and bio-mechanics work together to produce a "correct" golf swing is difficult to understand for instructors… much less players. But just like any other profession… (hopefully) people that are really looking for instructors that truly know the swing…. will find them. And when the instructors that actually know the golf swing teach more players how to make a "correct" swing… we won't have to look for ways to make the game easier… but ways to make it more challenging.
Bullshit !
I think that says it all
To me this is one possible direction that golf could head towards in order to attract new players.
It is definitely not traditional golfing at a course but it will attract new players to at least pick up a golf club and then some may progress to the golf course.
http://topgolf.com/us/
2 things:
There is not an argument regarding the 15 inch cup, there is an idea floating around.
Your points are wholly unconvincing.
The only way you bring new players the game as well as bring back players who have quit is speed up the pace of the game.
Every golf course should have a PGA tutorial on DVD explaining pace of play. Every player should then sign a agreement that they will abide by the rules or face consequences like suspension of playing privileges.
People are busy and lead busy lives, very few people I know, can take 6 or seven hours (all in) to play a round. It’s anachronistic to our times and entirely avoidable.
No round of golf should take more than 4 hours.
As someone said, paint a 7.5 inch radius circle around the cup. Voila! instant 15 inch cup. If it’s inside the paint, then it’s “in the hole.”
Could be implemented on every golf course in the world this afternoon.
Create a stencil with a pole in the middle. Greens keeper walks up to the hole, puts the pole in the cup, spray paints the stencil, and lifts it off.
Literally less than 10 seconds per hole, practically zero cost to the course to implement, and doesn’t interfere with traditional golfers.
I strongly disagree that 15 inch holes will grow the game. Everyone can putt, not necessarily well but they get the ball in the cup in a reasonable amount of time. However, getting to the green in a timely manner is the problem. Families and beginners should probably start at a pitch-n-putt or new facility that has these massive holes. That’s how I got my father, wife and kids started. Once they learned we graduated to 9 hole courses, etc…
As for growing the game . . . this is a sales agenda. Who says that the game of golf must grow and exceed the previous year? Taylormade thinks so because they push 18 different models of clubs every 3 months. Making the game accessible and affordable with quality instruction will make the difference over time. Programs like the First Tee and others do wonders. Support them!
Sure, why not this way you won’t have bother to try to improve. Just fold it into all the other mediocre performance of the slop that is being accepted today.
I think this is a joke, for the fact that this dumbass idead was introduced by the Taylormade CEO just shows that they have no idea and they should just stick to making and introducing new clubs every 3 months for the people who can’t play golf and want to change clubs like underwear. As far as the big hole FFS play another sport. Play basket ball the hole os big enough or soccer you cant miss.
Morocco Mako said:
That’s not the same thing, of course. Most holed putts would not have stopped with a 2 1/8″ radius circle. Heck, most holed putts would not stop within that 15″ diameter circle you’re proposing (if there was no hole cut of course).
The time it takes for me and most of the people I play with from tee to green is around 5-8 minutes. We spend a good 4-7 minutes on or around the green. I have also seen quite a few chips that missed by only a couple inches.
If we used 15 inch holes we can probably get a round in under 2 hours driving a cart and 2.5 hours walking/jogging on a 6700 yard course.
It is possible that a lot more fitness jocks will take up golf.
I recently played Lomas Santa Fe Executive golf course in San Diego with three beginners. They have set up the larger holes towards the back of the greens and have kept the regulation size holes also.
I suggested that they could play to the larger holes. None of them wanted to play to the larger holes.
I also suggested they could tee up all their shots (other than on the green of course). This they did and I truly believe teeing up all shots can really increase a beginners enjoyment a lot more than large holes.
I looked at other groups playing and didn’t see anyone playing to the larger holes. After the round I asked the starter if he was seeing folks players play to the larger holes. He said that it seemed they pretty much weren’t being used.
“The time it takes for me and most of the people I play with from tee to green is around 5-8 minutes. We spend a good 4-7 minutes on or around the green. I have also seen quite a few chips that missed by only a couple inches.”
Lihu are most of the people that you play with beginners? Do they swing and miss the ball more then 50% of the time and then hit the ball less than 10 yards? And then the rare time that they actually make good contact the ball goes straight right.
Most of the beginners that I play with take substantially more time to get to the green than 5 – 8 minutes.
Taking a beginner golfer straight to a regulation sized course is like starting a beginner skier on a black run on a ski hill.
Instead of putting a 15″ hole onto a regulation sized course start beginners on a pitch and putt course, a par 3 course or a executive length course.
Better yet start the beginner out at a driving range. You can make it more exciting by going to a Topgolf range.
I agree with 1Golfgirl and ay3360 – the answer to teaching beginners starts at the par 3 courses. Perhaps par 3 courses could go with the 15″ holes. My progression was mini-golf -> driving range -> small par 3 -> large par 3 -> executive course -> full-size lower-end course -> full-size muni course -> full-size premium course.
From a more holistic perspective, why does the game of golf need to “grow”? What is the obesession in the Western World (USA in particular) with more, more, more. We enjoy golf, we will pass this enjoyment down to our children, maybe even to a few friends and family members. We don’t need to mainstream golf. If it grows organically, fine, but why does that need to be a goal? The number of courses will ultimately come into line with demand, which will fluctuate over time.
The only people that “need” growth are the equipment makers like TM (promoting the 15″ holes). They need growth because their shareholders demand growing profits. They get people to think they need growth too, they sensationalize the shrinking of the sport to create urgency.
I think one of the problems with golf today is the expense. Rant mode:
My Father-in-law used to play when he was younger, but had to give it up when he started raising a family and money became tight. I hadn’t played for 27 years before I picked up a club about 3 years ago, and my time away from the game was also a matter of money. I’m a grandpa now, own my own house and land outright, live off grid and work in a lawn mower factory for fair wages for Arkansas. Still, I can only play a decent course 5 or 6 times a year, and maybe double that at a Muni. I have a 2 year old set of Adams clubs, excluding the Mizuno 56° wedge, a old 27° fairway wood and my UofA Odessey blade putter. Saved up for a year.
Equipment is also expensive. A dozen good balls shouldn’t cost half a tank of gas.
Courses should think about hiring some of the players to do part time grounds keeping in exchange for rounds to be played. Every 4 hours spent mowing, trimming, watering or whatever the head grounds keeper wants done. This will broaden the care of the course and those players will positively influence the behavior of others and bring friends/family to play.
Something needs to be done to help eliminate the “elite” status of playing golf, and open the fairways to the working man/woman/kid/family. An article in this month’s issue of Golf Digest is a perfect example. Donald Trump thinks golf should remain a sport for the “successful”. Yeah, on one of his courses I bet you have to be “somebody” or you don’t make it to the parking lot. It shouldn’t cost $100 to take your wife and kids, or four players, out for a round of golf. The family can be outdoors on a lake, by a river, fishing, camping and a bunch of others things that are fun for far less.
Want more people involved in golf? Figure out a way to get the prices down. A set of clubs that half way work, and a bag, shouldn’t cost a grand. Taking your family, or friends, around the links shouldn’t be a budget breaker. For some people it is. If the industry really want to grow the game there’s going to have to be a way to get costs down. Courses are going to have to play along and figure out a way to get more players and lower their cost. Players might have to accept a less than perfect fairway in late summer and mid winter.
“The only people that “need” growth are the equipment makers like TM (promoting the 15″ holes). They need growth because their shareholders demand growing profits. They get people to think they need growth too, they sensationalize the shrinking of the sport to create urgency.”
Bingo – stock prices depend on GROWTH every fiscal period. Without growth the stock price will drop. This is the only thing executives like Mark King HAVE to deliver. I don’t know the guy so I don’t know if he is truly passionate about the game but I do know he has to deliver growth for his company or they will hire someone else to do it.
We’ll I have read a few comments and the people that say they could care less if golf is hurting, all they care about is there friends and them are playing who cares about anybody else. Do you really think you and your friends can keep that golf course open by yourself, please, And as for slow play, I have changed courses because of slow play. The players that wait to tee off on a par 5 until the players in front of them walk off the putting green, drives meet crazy!!. 5 & 6 practice swings and they hit the ball 50 yds ?. Maybe having a easy course for those people will keep them off the regular courses.
“We’ll I have read a few comments and the people that say they could care less if golf is hurting, all they care about is there friends and them are playing who cares about anybody else. Do you really think you and your friends can keep that golf course open by yourself, please”
Actually I am one of those in that camp. To be more precise I do not believe all the dribble about golf being in trouble etc.
Sure we have overbuilt golf courses to sell real estate. So the real estate crashes and we are then surprises that the golf courses on those developments fail????
On the weekend my regular Sunday group was paired up with a new member. He is around 30th on the waitlist to get onto full time play. Our initiation fees are $50K and we have a wait list of over 30.
Golf, at least in my area, is doing OK for now.