Young People not Playing. Golf Leagues Shrinking

[CoachinPA]

Wanted to share some thoughts on a phenomenon that I have noticed over the last 10+ years.

I have a work golf league.  Been playing in it since i was 21.  Now 36.   Over the years the league has fluctuated in size from 30+ to only like 12.

And even when we get new players they are rarely young players, more likely to be retirees.

So my observation is that both my generation and the younger ones are so scared to take any time off from work that they can't even find one day a week to leave the office around 3pm.  I'm in a big company with over 3000 employees and we struggle to get 1 new player a year.  I ask people all the time and the response is almost always "I can't get out of work/ don't have time".

I think people have become too pressured and almost slave like.  Stand up for yourself and don't work 60-70 hour weeks while only getting paid for 40!   Am I the only one seeing this?

[anthony]

I'm 33, not necessarily a young player, and I would love to join a golf league during the week. Problem is, they all start at like 3:00 pm. I'm in the office until 4:30 everyday, and leaving at 3:00 once a week isn't an option.

I work a normal 40 week, btw.

[mattm16]

Seems kind of weird that all the golf leagues start at 3:00.  On the league I'm in charge of, the first T-time is supposed to be 6:00; however; if there is no league in front of us, sometimes we get out earlier; around 5:30.  Most of the courses that have leagues around where I live have ones that start around 5:30 - 6:00 for those that work.

[hilmar2k]

I'm 33, not necessarily a young player, and I would love to join a golf league during the week. Problem is, they all start at like 3:00 pm. I'm in the office until 4:30 everyday, and leaving at 3:00 once a week isn't an option.

I work a normal 40 week, btw.

I joined a league this year for the first time. Tee times start at 4:30. I'm lucky to have a job that affords me the flexibility to play. I can certainly see how one could have a job that would make it impossible.

[GangGreen]

I'm 46 and would love to join a golf league myself. I seriously doubt my manager would have any issues but I would have to dip into my own vacation time if it were a mid-afternoon league and I'd rather save those for other things and just play on the weekend or after I normally get home from work.

[Dave2512]

As mentioned leagues are tough for the day job people. It's what keeps me away. I am asked to sign up every year and I tell them I would if they can find someone for me to play with after 5PM. I am often out there on league days playing whatever side they aren't. But most are gone or already on the course by then.

[Maddog10]

I'm 23 and play in our men's league, but outside of me and one other guy there is not a person under the age of 40 that plays, and maybe even under 50. The top player at our club is around 28-29 years old and danced around the mini tours for a while, but we are the only two "young" people that play. Our league starts at 5:30 which allows most people to make it after work.

[Spyder]

Wanted to share some thoughts on a phenomenon that I have noticed over the last 10+ years.

I have a work golf league.  Been playing in it since i was 21.  Now 36.   Over the years the league has fluctuated in size from 30+ to only like 12.

And even when we get new players they are rarely young players, more likely to be retirees.

So my observation is that both my generation and the younger ones are so scared to take any time off from work that they can't even find one day a week to leave the office around 3pm.  I'm in a big company with over 3000 employees and we struggle to get 1 new player a year.  I ask people all the time and the response is almost always "I can't get out of work/ don't have time".

I think people have become too pressured and almost slave like.  Stand up for yourself and don't work 60-70 hour weeks while only getting paid for 40!   Am I the only one seeing this?

Unfortunately, the majority of people are not in a position to "stand up for themselves" and dictate their hours. They have deadlines to meet, goals to achieve and work to be done. The downfall, in most cases, in being a salaried employee is that you will most likely never work a traditional 40 hour week. You're not being paid overtime and you typically do not have a "union esque" guideline to follow in terms of your level of pay and your number of hours worked. On top of that, it's not called a "9 to 5" for no reason. The majority of salaried employees do not get out of work until 4-6 PM, making a tee time at 3 PM nearly impossible. The only people I personally know who would be able to pull that off are those who are Chairman/Executive level, self-employed, or people who start work at 6-6:30 AM and work 8 hours and get out at 2-2:30 PM.

I think most people would run the risk of losing their jobs if they were leaving early with work on the table to go play golf at 3 PM in the afternoon on a regular basis.

That's awesome that you have found a way to work it out, but people who have families (wife and/or wife and kids) typically only have spare time to golf on the weekend for the most part. That's why most of us sit here on this website and talk about golf while we are at work instead of dipping out early to hit the range, or the course.

[dsc123]

I'm 30 and would love to join a league.  Can't exactly leave in the middle of the work day once a week, unfortunately.

[Dave2512]

I am self employed and our league is an all day event, one side is league play open to close and I still can't make it work. For me the issue isn't finding the time but that by the time I can get out there  isn't anyone to play with. League rules state we must play with another men's club member. Those that are still around are typically in the bar drinking or just finishing. Fun as it would be I can't justify the hassle. Without fail every time I sneak away from work to golf something bad happens. My employees become very needy when they know I am out trying to have fun. Usually before I can get through the first hole my phone has rang at least ten times.

[Strausy007]

I am 25 and this is the first year I will be playing in a league.  Like most have said our league starts at 5:15, so getting there in time isn't an issue for me.  I think what held me back from playing before was the commitment to play every week or most weeks.  I play every weekend and like the freedom of choosing when and were.  But this year I am looking forward to getting some play in during the week.

[CoachinPA]

All great replies,

I am of the opinion that if you want something bad enough you will find ways to make it work.   I understand that not everyone can get out at 3pm but I feel like it's become a taboo subject to even think about flexing time.  People are terrified, and I get that, but does that mean that at some point in the future if your boss "requests" you work on the weekend you would give up your golf to do so?  And then what happens when he or she doesn't even ask anymore but just expects it?

The job market is extremely competitive now so i guess the mentality could be "well if you're not willing to do it, I got 15 resumes on my desk of people who will"

My main point was that it seems to be a "younger" phenomenon.   I hear stories of softball, basketball leagues and work picnics, and golf leagues from guys who have been working here for 30 years.  Now most of these things are dying slow painful deaths as the truly old just can't physically do it anymore but aren't being replaced by younger people.

Must be a combination of inflation/ greed/ competition/ that has gotten work in America to this point.  Employers are definitely controlling all the power

From wiki- points against standard working hours

Increased costs of running businesses Employers may use various measures to offset the cost increases, such as: lowering average hourly/annual compensation using part-time rather than full-time employees lowering or canceling year-end bonuses, etc. When employees are forced to work part-time jobs, they may need to acquire additional employment to maintain standard of living. [74] Lower production output Increase in energy load on the grid during peak hours. Extend retirement age, the lifelong work hour may not change Standard working hours favor employer needs and can cause issues with achieving work-life balance. Forces employees to work overtime in some situations Appropriate standard working hours can vary across different industries based on the type of work performed. Certain professional positions are difficult to define in terms of appropriate working hours. May need different exclusions Issues can arise with employers expecting employees to work extra hours "off the clock" in order to keep costs down.

[14ledo81]

All great replies,

I am of the opinion that if you want something bad enough you will find ways to make it work.   I understand that not everyone can get out at 3pm but I feel like it's become a taboo subject to even think about flexing time.  People are terrified, and I get that, but does that mean that at some point in the future if your boss "requests" you work on the weekend you would give up your golf to do so?  And then what happens when he or she doesn't even ask anymore but just expects it?

The job market is extremely competitive now so i guess the mentality could be "well if you're not willing to do it, I got 15 resumes on my desk of people who will"

My main point was that it seems to be a "younger" phenomenon.   I hear stories of softball, basketball leagues and work picnics, and golf leagues from guys who have been working here for 30 years.  Now most of these things are dying slow painful deaths as the truly old just can't physically do it anymore but aren't being replaced by younger people.

Must be a combination of inflation/ greed/ competition/ that has gotten work in America to this point.  Employers are definitely controlling all the power

From wiki- points against standard working hours

Increased costs of running businesses

Employers may use various measures to offset the cost increases, such as:

lowering average hourly/annual compensation

using part-time rather than full-time employees

lowering or canceling year-end bonuses, etc.

When employees are forced to work part-time jobs, they may need to acquire additional employment to maintain standard of living.[74]

Lower production output

Increase in energy load on the grid during peak hours.

Extend retirement age, the lifelong work hour may not change

Standard working hours favor employer needs and can cause issues with achieving work-life balance.

Forces employees to work overtime in some situations

Appropriate standard working hours can vary across different industries based on the type of work performed.

Certain professional positions are difficult to define in terms of appropriate working hours.

May need different exclusions

Issues can arise with employers expecting employees to work extra hours "off the clock" in order to keep costs down.

Is this a "Golf League" thread?  Or a thread about the "evils" of business owners.

[rkim291968]

I somehow don't think it is about leaving work early.    Golf has been losing its popularity among younger crowd.   Unable to leave work early seems like a red herring to me.

[Dave2512]

Golf was never a "younger crowd" thing. Tiger helped get it past the perception it's a game for wealthy old men. But never in the more than 40 years I've been around golf hasve younger people been the course majority.

[MS256]

Is this a "Golf League" thread?  Or a thread about the "evils" of business owners.

Yeah, employers can be demanding that way. They seem to care more about their business than they do about our fun.

[rkim291968]

Once every so often, I just take 1/2 day off (charge to my vacation ) to play golf.   Makes things clean.

[BuckeyeNut]

The state of golf is fine.....

With regard to leagues, I will never play in one........NOT EVER.   When I play weekday evenings, I make damn sure I am in front of them........... I can loop around and play 18 in the time it takes them to play 9.   I want no part of that league play/slow play clusterFK.