Is cost the reason for decline in new golfers?

[Flav]

After reading the comments on a social media page dedicated to golf, the number one complaint or barrier to starting was cost. I tended to agree greens fees can be high in some cases. However par3 or executive courses are cheap and great to learn on. I felt clubs are as expensive as you make them. Especially starting out I suggested no need for 1200 dollars worth of clubs. A 200 dollar set from Walmart is more than enough when first starting out. Heck even 60 spend at Play it again on three clubs and a putter is probably OK to start in most cases. Seems in some cases people are making it harder for themselves to fall in love with the sport. Whether it be the perception everyone plays by the "rules" , it cost to much, or is elitist in nature ones perceptions have become their reality. What is the number one excuse or reason you have come across?

[mvmac]

What is the number one excuse or reason you have come across?

Time and the difficulty of the game.

[Elmer]

Lets face it when you are just starting out paying $45 for a round of golf is expensive, especially when you play & most likely put up a stinker of a round.

Golf balls are $20 a dozen if not more.

New clubs, used clubs or any clubs are pricey.

Shoes!!!!!!

and then you have to add in the time to practice and a 4 hour round.

most people I know are casual golfer and dont get a chance to excel because they dont have the time, money or effort to put into it (myself included)

" Time and the difficulty of the game."

The game can be crushing especially when you are just starting out and knocking 6 balls in the woods per round!

[saevel25]

After reading the comments on a social media page dedicated to golf, the number one complaint or barrier to starting was cost. I tended to agree greens fees can be high in some cases. However par3 or executive courses are cheap and great to learn on. I felt clubs are as expensive as you make them. Especially starting out I suggested no need for 1200 dollars worth of clubs. A 200 dollar set from Walmart is more than enough when first starting out. Heck even 60 spend at Play it again on three clubs and a putter is probably OK to start in most cases.

Seems in some cases people are making it harder for themselves to fall in love with the sport. Whether it be the perception everyone plays by the "rules" , it cost to much, or is elitist in nature ones perceptions have become their reality.

What is the number one excuse or reason you have come across?

Actually the cost of golf clubs have been held pretty much under inflation for a long time. The old Titleist 975 driver had an MSRP of $500 dollars back in 1998. That was for a 260 cc clubhead, not adjustable.

Tileist 910D2 has an MSRP of $445 dollars in 2010.

In today's dollars the 975 would cost about $740

Given technology in production has advanced, but prices have not really increased regularly. Also you don't need to get the newest clubs. There are a TON of used clubs you can buy that would work just as well as any newer clubs bought today. Especially in the past 5 years.

[Flav]

That was my argument. Clubs and greens fees are as expensive as you make them. I know some areas may lack a lot of cheap courses but there seems to be at least one two most places I have visited.

[hilmar2k]

Time and the difficulty of the game.

Difficulty is spot on. Golf is hard, and unless you're really motivated to get better, it can get overwhelming for new golfers.Most new golfers that I know have either quit, or are very close to it. They expect to improve quickly, and when they don't they see no point in continuing to pay as much as it costs to play.

[Dave2512]

Cost has certainly become a concern for me and I play cheap courses. I haven't played much since 08/01 and it's amazing how much money I have compared earlier in the summer. I figured by the time I bought beer and played 3-4 times a week it was a $200-300 a week expense. Because I play after work it often led to eating out because we got home late. And I developed a habit of leaving work early here and there to be able to get in 18 after work. Had to scale it back. I can see how a new golfer would be turned off by the cost. Especially when you figure equipment, lessons, practice etc. I don't even enjoy being out there if I don't break 80 these days.

[David in FL]

For your reading pleasure.

FWIW, golf need not cost a lot of money.  A functional set of clubs can be had for $100.  Balls are easily purchased for $1 per ball, tennis shoes are fine, and I can play as much as I want for under $10 a round if I just look around a little.....

[Slowcelica]

I think intimidation, lack of tolerance, and pride are causing the decline in golf.

By intimidation I mean if you've never been to a golf course before and unless you are going to play with a friend it can be intimidating, and most people will not pick up the sport for this reason. How many new people end up just going on their own and playing 9 holes, I don't know of any.

By pride I mean people just won't play if they aren't very good, I know a few people who won't play anymore because we got better and they didn't. So they are embarrassed because well they aren't very good, but golf is supposed to be fun so just go have fun, screw what other think.

By lack of tolerance I mean there is a lack of tolerance for people who's average shot is 50 yds because they are starting off and can't get the ball up in the air or when they do they don't go where they mean it to. They also play a lot slower than someone who hits 2 or 3 shots to get to the green, patience is a virtue that very few people have these days. Everyone is in a hurry and on the courses I play there can be some really rude golfers if someone is slowing things down a little if they are new.

There are some rude people out on some courses who think they run the place and this year it seems to have gotten worse around here anyway, for example this year I was playing 18 walking, I was with a 3 some on the front 9 and my friends had to leave after 9 and I continued on. There was a fast playing two some behind me on the front and I stopped for some water at the turn, so they went on ahead of me. So I teed off on 10 no one behind me and while I'm on the green at 10 a 4 some tees off. So i finish move on to the next, as I'm going to my tee shot an old man in the foursome behind me drives up and interrogates me about me not playing the front 9. Doesn't work there, because I know the people in the pro-shop. I politely answered his questions and moved on, pissed me off for the rest of the round, he had no reason to do that I wasn't effecting him in any way whatsoever.

Case two, I was on the first tee of a 9 hole course that you play twice. There was a group in the fairway within range of my tee shot so I was waiting for them to move on. I had my son with me so I was letting him tee off (he's 5) while we waited and then pick up his ball. While waiting this old man drives past us and flies up to the senior tees and tries to tee off.

This is just two examples, there are more over the past year or two. If I was just taking up the game and had these things happen to me I think I would think twice about spending $600 to get into a sport. I think a lot of people don't think about it but these kind of interactions could steer someone who is considering taking up the game away from it.

[Patch]

I'd say over all cost has quite a bit to do with what ever decline may be taking place. There are extra costs to consider besides just green fees. Assuming you already have your basic equipment purchased, food, beverages, transportation, and other incidentals need to be factored in.

When I go to play, I have to add in some of the 6-8 gallons of gas it takes to get to the nearest course, and then back home. Green fees of $25, another $20 dollars in gas, another $20 dollars for food/beverages. Let's throw in another $20 for incidentals that may include some skins. I am at $85 for 18 holes, which is almost $5 per hole if you want to take it that far. If I shoot an 80, it's over a dollar per stroke. Of course, on the bright side, is if I shoot 100, it's only $0.85 a stroke.

The time to play factor is moot point to my way of thinking. I go to play 18 holes regardless of how long it might take.  If it takes 5-6 hours then so be it. I don't like longer rounds, but they are what they are, and will never go away. I know some folks will stay away due to longer playing times, but that to me is their own issue.

With the drought issues that are taking place out west, poor course conditions could tend to keep some golfers home.  Who want to play off thin, hard, and patchy lies? I know the course I play the most is going to raise their green fees by $2-$5 in November. Their (irrigation) water supplier is raising their cost to the golf course. They reclaim as much water as they can, but it's not enough. I'll pay the higher fees because I like to play on nice fairways, and greens.

Then there's the first time player who gets put with a group of "snobs"  who have forgotten their first time playing the game. Bad first impressions can make folks not want to return.

Last but not least there is the old stand by for the loss of players......Tiger Woods is ailing.

[Flav]

For your reading pleasure.

Thanks :)

[MrDC]

I suppose for a young person golf is a lot more money to spend than nothing, which is what basketball, football, soccer, baseball, etc. cost, nada, a kid can play them all for free, and the young are the future so maybe cost is the issue, maybe this is the result of kids not getting into the game for a while because they don't want to spend the $20-30 to play.

But I'm not complaining, I love the quiet courses, last weekend I played 9 holes alone, 3 balls off the tee scramble, it was great! nobody around, I was practicing chipping, bunkers, everything, I got home totally happy with some real practice for once, I hope I can do it again this weekend.

[dave s]

From a Golf Digest Mag article, and I'll paraphrase:  The reason golf is losing favor is any one or more of the following three factors:

1.  The game is too hard

2.  It takes too much time

3.  It costs too much

dave

[mcanadiens]

Anybody can walk in a bowling alley for the first time, rent some shoes, grab a ball and knock down some pins.

Nobody walks on to a golf course by himself for the first time and plays 18 holes. It's expensive, but the difficulty of the game for a starter is number 1 with a bullet.

[vangator]

I think it's cost. I started when I was 18 and a round of golf was $3.50 at the exec I played. As a student, my membership at a large course was $90 per year. In college (1980-83), all the golf I could play for a day was $3 at the Univ of Florida which is a fairly nice course and produced many pros. I think those prices are long gone even with inflation. I was a bartender in the 1970's and a 16 oz draft was 35 cents. Granted, it was cheap beer (Kochs). Now a 12 draft at the course I play is $3 not counting the tip. I bring my own. I paid $5.95 (pre-tax and tip) for a 12 oz draft at Innisbrook a couple of weeks ago. That's sick!

[MrDC]

Difficulty of the game is one of the reasons I like it, it's a challenge, and when you do well it's really rewarding, because you had to work so hard to get there.

I have a hard time believing that most that want to play have that much quit in them, plenty of fun things take some hard to get good at, like riding a bike, or even video games, kids will spend weeks on end trying to finish a game, there's no quit, so again, I just don't think most people that are drawn to the game will give up because its too hard, some yes, but not most.

[David in FL]

I think it's cost. I started when I was 18 and a round of golf was $3.50 at the exec I played. As a student, my membership at a large course was $90 per year. In college (1980-83), all the golf I could play for a day was $3 at the Univ of Florida which is a fairly nice course and produced many pros. I think those prices are long gone even with inflation. I was a bartender in the 1970's and a 16 oz draft was 35 cents. Granted, it was cheap beer (Kochs). Now a 12 draft at the course I play is $3 not counting the tip. I bring my own. I paid $5.95 (pre-tax and tip) for a 12 oz draft at Innisbrook a couple of weeks ago. That's sick!

You're over Tampa way, right? I'll bet I can find a half dozen courses for under $10 a round over there...with cart. I've heard that there are people who don't absolutely have to drink beer while playing golf too. Don't know that I believe it, but that's the rumor..... ;-)

[Slowcelica]

I suppose for a young person golf is a lot more money to spend than nothing, which is what basketball, football, soccer, baseball, etc. cost, nada, a kid can play them all for free, and the young are the future so maybe cost is the issue, maybe this is the result of kids not getting into the game for a while because they don't want to spend the $20-30 to play.

But I'm not complaining, I love the quiet courses, last weekend I played 9 holes alone, 3 balls off the tee scramble, it was great! nobody around, I was practicing chipping, bunkers, everything, I got home totally happy with some real practice for once, I hope I can do it again this weekend.

Around here this point is mute, anyone under 18 can play for free at the first tee courses. Yea they are par 3 courses for the most part but you can get some good practice in. Also if you walk, I pay $8-$13 for green fees for 18 at the muni courses that's pretty cheap. Heck one course will let you play as long as you want if your walking and you play the green fee. I've seen kids out there just go around and around the course.