Attracting more women golfers

[WUTiger]

Today's Wall Street Journal discusses studies on what women golfers like and don't like about how golf courses treat them.

U.S. golf is struggling with falling interest among players. This could mean more course closings and rising prices for surviving courses if it continues. So, attracting more women could help turn the tide.

The article is written by WSJ golf writer John Paul Newport. Some things women want:
* Shorter holes from the women's forward tees (most women can't reach a 300-yd. par 4 in two shots)
* Clean restroom facilities
* More merchandise for women in the pro shop
* Healthier food in the snack bar

Here's the article link. Thoughts anyone?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...minine+side%22

[senorchipotle]

let the economy do what it does. fewer people on the golf course will not jack up prices if your prices are fair. exorbitant green fees are one of the reasons there aren't more people playing now. golfers will start to play more muni's and you'll suddenly see great deals on the otherwise 75$ a round tracks. raising prices is the fastest way to send people packing, and americans love a good sale. so if they do raise prices and go out of business, they've made their bed, now it's time to lie down and take a nap.

[iacas]

* Shorter holes from the women's forward tees (most women can't reach a 300-yd. par 4 in two shots)

Thoughts? That one's lame. The others are fine, but c'mon... 300 yards isn't that far for two swings, and in my experience most of the forward tees don't have many 300-yard par fours. Tell ya what, ladies: get your handicap down and hit the ball better and 300 won't be so long. You'll look at 300 as birdie holes. That's a two-hundred yard drive and a short iron... A lot of male bogey golfers can't reach a 400-yard par 4 but they're bogey golfers. So what if they can't get there?

FWIW, Whispering Woods has the forward tees at 4700 yards. That's an average of 261.

[uttexas]

If there were more 9 hole courses and/or more courses offering a nine hole rate, there would be more people (men and women) golfing.

[sean_miller]

Today's

Things men want at their local golf course - in no particular order: - a clean washroom - healthy and tasty food - merchandise that's not tacky (shiny oversized golf shirt with oversized logo so poorly embroidered you'll need bandaids on your nipples anyone?) - women's tees so far forward that they're almost done the hole as soon as they tee off - git 'er done ladies - 12 minute gaps between tee times - easier tee shots on the first and tenth holes I could go on.

[nike_golf]

It is an issue w/ no obvious or easy solutions.

I can only say that to get girls involved in golf, it begins at an early age. If you start a young girl onto golf, and she happens to enjoy it, you've won half the battle, and hopefully that young girl grows up continuing to play golf, and plays it at a high level.

I don't think better and healthier food in the snack bar is going to drive more women to play or drive them away from playing. If they're going to complain about that and un sanitary restroom facilities, then maybe golf simply isn't a good idea for some of them.

I think some of that article creates somewhat of a smoke screen to the real issue when things like snack food are brought up.

[ApocG10]

Women need to play with other women more often. That was my wifes problem. Playing with men, who drive further and play faster, was uncomfortable for her. She didnt enjoy the game, and wanted to quit. I had no problem with that, but I suggested that she try ladies night, on thursdays.

She did, and she loved it. They have helped her out a lot, and she's really enjoying the game. I think that makes a huge difference for them. Playing with men isnt a ton of fun for women.

[MA5Bergey]

I'm all for getting more women on the course. Gives me something nice to look at in between shots. :)

[PiustheDrGolf]

Some things women want:

* Cart boys

[Quinn07]

Today's

I get a kick out of these two points. I think the first point about the length of the hole goes to show that perhaps some woman aren't playing golf for the sport or competitive nature of the game but more for the social aspects of it. AND that's fine, but perhaps if that's the case then they should do so at a course that is more suitable to their playing level. It might just be me but I enjoy those holes that play tough and I have to play good golf to score well...it's part of the game. I am not even going to comment on the second portion because it's assinine to think that more woman would play golf if they put a Prada booth in the golf shop. There are plenty of stores out there that have just as much womans clothing as they do men.

I would have to disagree with the comment about woman playing slow. Most woman I know that play golf have a faster pace of play then most men. Me being one of them.

[WUTiger]

Thoughts? That one's lame. The others are fine, but c'mon... 300 yards isn't that far for two swings, and in my experience most of the forward tees don't have many 300-yard par fours. Tell ya what, ladies: get your handicap down and hit the ball better and 300 won't be so long. You'll look at 300 as birdie holes. That's a two-hundred yard drive and a short iron... A lot of male bogey golfers can't reach a 400-yard par 4 but they're bogey golfers. So what if they can't get there?

As per article, the husband-wife team of Art Little and Jann Leeming did studies of the women's forward tees at various courses. It included Province Lake course in Maine, which they own. At Province, they found the average forward-tee par 4 was 327 yds.; total yardage was well over 5,000 yds. They adjusted the forward tees to make the par 4s shorter, added other changes, and tripled the number of women's rounds played at the course.

I believe Art and Jann would give high marks to Whispering Woods, which you mentioned. As you say, better women amateur golfers hit drives of 200+ yards. But, the average woman in the USA is only 5-foot-2. My wife is only 4-foot-10, and 150 yrs. is a pretty good tee shot for her. Again, we're talking about forward women's tees, not the challenge women's tees. The newer courses in our area have two sets of women's tees, with the shorter ones about 4,500 to 4,800 yds. Some of our older courses have forward women's tees of 5,500 yds.

[WUTiger]

I get a kick out of these two points. I think the first point about the length of the hole goes to show that perhaps some woman aren't playing golf for the sport or competitive nature of the game but more for the social aspects of it. ... It might just be me but I enjoy those holes that play tough and I have to play good golf to score well...it's part of the game. ...

Golf developers evidently think like you do. One country club operation in the Oklahoma City area - name escapes me - has a rugged championship course for the better men, and a more benevolent course for the women, children, and mid-handicap men.

[jdjanda]

My wife has been twice, both times only for 9. She goes in support of the family ans has little desire to improve only to enjoy time with her boys. I am trying to get her to go to a ladies only class or event.

[IceDave]

I think the length of the holes is a good point for beginners. I had to drag my wife to the golf course for the first 5-7 years. I am not kidding, she would always have some excuse not to go to the course. Playing in a bad weather, light rain or any other, was out of the question. A course we sometime played, had beginners tee's, she used to use those at times.

Today she outdrives me easily for many holes at our club. I hit a 7 iron 165+ yards.

[murphmjm]

If there were more 9 hole courses and/or more courses offering a nine hole rate, there would be more people (men and women) golfing.

There are quite a few 9 hole courses up here in mass and I see women out there a lot. As long as women are keeping up with the place of play I dont mind them at all but when they don't it can be awful. I've had mostly good experinces being behind a group with women; they normally go up to their ball and just hit without taking too much time eventhough it only goes 50-100 yds, keeps things going.