Is cost the reason for decline in new golfers?

[David in FL]

Unfortunately I think you extrapolate the Florida golfing environment a bit too much here to the rest of the country. At no point in my life has a $5 or even $10 round of nine ever been an option within a 2 hour radius of my house. If I spend $20-$30 for a weekday twilight round, I'm playing an absolute dog track. I have to spend $40-$50 during the week to play a decent course and $80+ on the weekends (I don't play on the weekends). The other option is to pay $400-$800/month, plus initiation costs for a private club. And I know this pales in comparison to many areas in the Northeast (where a third of the country's population lives). From a cost standpoint, I know most of the county lies somewhere between cental FL and Connecticut, but don't make the mistake of thinking that most people get to play golf for $20/round or less.

I can get you a time Sunday morning at Gypsy Hill, in Staunton for $13.  Weekdays are cheaper.

[Slice of Life]

I can get you a time Sunday morning at Gypsy Hill, in Staunton for $13.  Weekdays are cheaper.

I bet the golfs are real cheap for you come say late July/August. :)

[turtleback]

You can't play football or baseball on that same wide open field??

I've flat out asked a couple of my co-workers why they don't play golf.  These are guys who have played a few times, and even own clubs, but if it's not for my birthday or a work function, then it's once a year at most for them.  It's not really money, it's not really time, and it's not really lack of interest.  It's a combination of all three.  They aren't interested enough to take the time or spend the money to play golf more often than they do.

I think that there are very, very few people out there who don't golf solely because of money.  I think there are a lot, though, that don't golf solely because of time (parents of newborns, for example) and I think there are a lot of people who don't golf solely because of lack of interest.

Yup, it is hard for us to believe but some folks aren't all that interested in golf.

Only a little OT because it ties into the whole cost thing.....

GN doesn't do a real good job of identifying exactly where courses actually are when they assign them to a region.  I did a quick Google search for courses in that area and came up with a bunch of them.  Looks like most are in the Longmont area......about 30 minutes south of Loveland.

Then cross-reference the courses you find with the listings on GN for the Denver area.  I didn't spend much time, but found Twin Peaks, Ute Creek, Coyote Creek, and Sunset Municipal.  I'm sure there are more.   All seem pretty reasonably priced with some Hot Deals at Coyote Creek for $15 and Sunset for $10.

Perfect example......you're definitely out there, but there are courses, and decent deals to be had.  Certainly not as many as other, more populated areas though.

Damn pretty part of the Country though!

Thank you David.  I will look them over.

[Dave2512]

Only a little OT because it ties into the whole cost thing.....

GN doesn't do a real good job of identifying exactly where courses actually are when they assign them to a region.  I did a quick Google search for courses in that area and came up with a bunch of them.  Looks like most are in the Longmont area......about 30 minutes south of Loveland.

Then cross-reference the courses you find with the listings on GN for the Denver area.  I didn't spend much time, but found Twin Peaks, Ute Creek, Coyote Creek, and Sunset Municipal.  I'm sure there are more.   All seem pretty reasonably priced with some Hot Deals at Coyote Creek for $15 and Sunset for $10.

Perfect example......you're definitely out there, but there are courses, and decent deals to be had.  Certainly not as many as other, more populated areas though.

Damn pretty part of the Country though!

Until today I've never seen Hot Deals that low at either course. I play Coyote 3-4 times a week, it's about 10 minutes from my house. Tyler (the pro) has been struggling to keep people on the course late in the season and has been running specials on tee times. Usually the HD there is $27 and there are just two around 2PM M-F, which is still affordable. Wed was men's league but they are done now so I assume todays $35 times are an effort to get people in because of that. Tomorrow he's got the times back at $41 and usually it's $42. Sunset is decent but just an old 9 hole course and they also usually are higher than todays prices.

The cheapest course I know of up here is Bella Rosa but it's a freakin' field with some so-so greens spread about. Just 9 holes, you can loop it twice for $16 twilight with cart, and honestly kind of fun. I can break par there so it's like golf light. But the conditions are always terrible. They have a local rule that you can improve your lie if you believe it will cause harm to yourself or others, lot's of bare spots with rocks in the dirt. I've never seen a raked bunker there. So you get what you pay for. But none of these would work for @turtleback . He hasn't said exactly where he lives but the travel time and gas would negate any benefit of going to Coyote or Sunset. There is a course in Greeley that was on GN but I don't see them on there today. Also a 1400 yard par 3 in Loveland that is kind of cool. His problem up there is the north courses are almost like resort courses, people go because they are so beautiful and they are always packed. If they were on GN it wouldn't be at a discounted rate.

[skydog]

I can get you a time Sunday morning at Gypsy Hill, in Staunton for $13.  Weekdays are cheaper.

Staunton is 110 miles from Richmond. Trust me, it's not from a lack of trying or golf now knowledge, any course that is less than $30 and an hour from here is a dog track- I've tried all of them. The courses I play I have to drive 30-50 minutes to get to and they are in the $40-$100/range.

[mcanadiens]

It all reminds me that I'm a little lucky to live where I do.

Dayton's publics aren't going remind anyone of Pebble Beach, but it's a lot of decent golf and decent prices.

[CarlSpackler]

It all reminds me that I'm a little lucky to live where I do. Dayton's publics aren't going remind anyone of Pebble Beach, but it's a lot of decent golf and decent prices.

True, but we do have some really nice private clubs too. I've had the pleasure of playing NCR, CCN, Meadowbrook, Miami Valley CC, and others. Many are struggling to stay afloat though. Edit: I predict that we will see Moss Creek, Penn Terra, and a few other courses close after the season.

[mcanadiens]

True, but we do have some really nice private clubs too. I've had the pleasure of playing NCR, CCN, Meadowbrook, Miami Valley CC, and others. Many are struggling to stay afloat though.

Those places ... are pretty to look at when I drive past them.

Some day maybe.

[CarlSpackler]

Those places ... are pretty to look at when I drive past them. Some day maybe.

Quite a few are offering tee times to the public for additional income.

[Dave2512]

It all reminds me that I'm a little lucky to live where I do.

Dayton's publics aren't going remind anyone of Pebble Beach, but it's a lot of decent golf and decent prices.

Same here. But my problem isn't the cost of one round it's because I play too much.

[CarlSpackler]

Same here. But my problem isn't the cost of one round it's because I play too much.

I wish I had that problem.

[David in FL]

Staunton is 110 miles from Richmond. Trust me, it's not from a lack of trying or golf now knowledge, any course that is less than $30 and an hour from here is a dog track- I've tried all of them. The courses I play I have to drive 30-50 minutes to get to and they are in the $40-$100/range.

Sorry, I was a little lazy on that one.  Here......Dogwood Trace.  Nice, highly rated course, less than 30 minutes from Richmond in Petersburg.  $15 tomorrow.

I'm barely trying here......

[Flav]

Seeing all the course listing for Florida and knowing how many are here in South Carolina (10 within a hop skip and jump from my house) it would be interesting to see if the decline is regional. Maybe the Midwest or Northeast are hit hardest etc.

[Strandly]

Cost is what kept me away for as long as it did.  Even with cheap balls and clubs I don't think anyone can reasonably argue that this sport isn't expensive.  Look at the $ per hour of entertainment of golf versus just about any other activity out there and it'll be waaay ahead of golf.

[David in FL]

Cost is what kept me away for as long as it did.  Even with cheap balls and clubs I don't think anyone can reasonably argue that this sport isn't expensive.  Look at the $ per hour of entertainment of golf versus just about any other activity out there and it'll be waaay ahead of golf.

If your socioeconomic situation is such that $20 for a half-day activity is "expensive", then I agree with you. If I go to the bar down the street to shoot some pool, and nurse one beer an hour, I'm spending more than that on an hourly basis......

[mcanadiens]

The other day I was thinking about it compared to NFL tickets. Someone was whining about the local team struggling to sell the game out.

I figured that my bruv and I would spend 40 to 50 between us to play our local with a beer after the round. Compare that to $200 minimum to see the ole Bengals.

[Flav]

The other day I was thinking about it compared to NFL tickets.

That's why I have a hard time buying into the it takes to long. People complain about a 4-5 maybe six hour day outside yet will spend 7 hrs Saturday and another 7 Sunday watching football on tv. Or any sporting event for that matter. The more I read it's the it's to hard excuse that I'm thinking is the major obstacle.

[newtogolf]

That's why I have a hard time buying into the it takes to long. People complain about a 4-5 maybe six hour day outside yet will spend 7 hrs Saturday and another 7 Sunday watching football on tv. Or any sporting event for that matter.

The more I read it's the it's to hard excuse that I'm thinking is the major obstacle.

People find time and money for what's important to them.  I think time and money are the easy excuses to give when asked why they aren't golfing.  It definitely sounds better than, "I don't want to work that hard at a hobby", or "It's too difficult a sport to play for me".

Many of my friends and family members use the time and money excuse all the time, but they all have plenty of time and money.  When I'd push them, basically they said it was too frustrating because if they didn't play or practice a lot they would struggle playing and it wasn't fun for them.   I get it, golf is tough, it's what I love about it, but I get that it's not a something you just decide to do one day and then go out on a course and have fun doing it.  When I started training for my first marathon it was very similar to golf in that you can't go from the couch to running a marathon overnight.  You have to train and build your endurance just as in golf you have to practice and build a proper swing.  I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

I'm sure for most people, it's not they don't have time and or money, it's that they'd rather spend their time and money doing something else that they enjoy more.  It's like when people use the excuse they don't have time to exercise.  I've yet to meet someone so busy that they can't find 3 - 4 hours a week to dedicate to exercising, but it's still the #1 excuse.

It's going to be hard for the golf industry to fix their problems when the majority of people aren't honest with them about why they aren't participating.