Is cost the reason for decline in new golfers?

[dfreuter415]

After reading the comments on a social media page dedicated to golf, the number one complaint or barrier to starting was cost. What is the number one excuse or reason you have come across?

Time and the difficulty of the game.

BINGO! These three reasons: cost, time, and difficulty would be my best guess.  My solution to declining interest would be to to make golf a 12 hole game rather than 18. This would cut down the time and cost. Also to combat the difficulty and time factors, I would suggest that players would be encouraged to "Tee it Forward."

From pga.com: To help golfers have more fun on the course and enhance their overall experience by playing from a set of tees best suited to their abilities, The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association have partnered to support “TEE IT FORWARD.” TEE IT FORWARD encourages all golfers to play the course at a length that is aligned with their average driving distance. Golfers can speed up play by utilizing tees that provide the greatest playability and enjoyment.

[Strandly]

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.

I don't think that's a good comparison since there's only what, 30 NFL teams?  There are thousands of courses in the country; far more accessible hobby imo.

[Lihu]

Time and the difficulty of the game.

I think you addressed half of this problem with me, at least.

My company addressed the other one with a "compatibility" edict that allows me to play morning rounds, and that's also why I'm still at work for another 2-3 hours.

[mtthwdrn]

I haven't played a round of golf in about thirty days. I don't have time. I've been hitting at the range. I couldn't play yesterday because I had family stuff. Between work and school ,time for anything else is limited. But I have this weekend off, so I got that going for me.:) I work at a PIAS and a guy sold his clubs and bought softball equipment for his daughter. I asked why he was selling and he was frustrated with his development as a golfer. Time and difficulty of the game would be my guess as to why people quit. The time it takes to play eighteen can be too much for a parent. The time it takes to become just ok at this endeavor can be discouraging.

[Spitfisher]

You guys do know that making the game less difficult will likely migrate to multiple sets of rules for the game of golf in the future. Golf is in a rather harsh down cycle, we havn't hit bottom yet. Potentially half the golfers we have today, might be the bottom in the coming years.

[Alohaed]

Cost #1! Time, yes. Also crowded courses, with slow play. Here in NYC I have to play my local city course. Not cheap. Very crowded. I refuse to play 18 on weekends, it's a zoo. Even week days, getting there at 5:30 am, 6 now, there are so many waiting to tee off. 5 hour rounds. Cost.... $70+ with cart on weekends. I walk during the week, $40 before noon, or $31 after. IF I do play weekends, it is walking the back 9 before 6:30am for $20. I, or we with a couple of budddies, make sure I/we am one of the first, then I hit balls over and over, since no one is behind me. Done in less than 2hrs. Better than the range. I agree and disagree on it being a difficult sport. YES, that's a reason. But I don't buy into it. These people who claim this should stay away from it. Then there will be less crowds. IT IS difficult. And that is a challenge. If it were easy it would be boring,. Hey, I've been playing for almost 20 years. Still haven't broken 100. When I was employed fully, I only played a few times a year. No time, and as stated above, courses too crowded and expensive on weekend, and I go to the range occasionally. The past couple of years I have been unemployed 70% of the time, so I play a couple of time a month on week days. Same this season, since I am unemployed again. And I still find it difficult to break 100. But that is the challenge. If I hit a few good shots during the game: land the green a foot or two from the pin(from fairway or Par 3), hit a great low punch from under trees on the green, and par a hole here and there; these things make my day and I walk away feeling good.Yes it's difficult. Deal with it and enjoy. One good quote we all say too each other when one get annoyed or depressed while playing: "Playing a round of golf is still better than being at work". Of course that doesn't apply to me. And my season is over now. Because of congress, no more extended emergency unemployment payments. Mine run out in 2 weeks. Oh well.

[Lihu]

You guys do know that making the game less difficult will likely migrate to multiple sets of rules for the game of golf in the future. Golf is in a rather harsh down cycle, we havn't hit bottom yet. Potentially half the golfers we have today, might be the bottom in the coming years.

I agree with this, and will add that better instruction is a better solution for the "hard" part.

Time is the other one. If people could get a round in under 3 hours, that might make more better players play more often. I recall not too long ago needing 5 hours to finish a round just because of my lack of skill.

So, teaching people to play by the current rules and conditions will allow them to play faster and reduce the round times making the game more accessible to a wider range of golfers might be the answer?

EDIT:

Cost is a factor, but faster round times can reduce the cost to the course and if they translate that to lower greens fees, maybe more people can do it. The other thing is monthly passes are a great idea.

[Elmer]

You guys do know that making the game less difficult will likely migrate to multiple sets of rules for the game of golf in the future. Golf is in a rather harsh down cycle, we havn't hit bottom yet. Potentially half the golfers we have today, might be the bottom in the coming years.

most the courses I goto around here, with exception of Saratoga National, has people in jeans and tee shirts playing. Most the golfers play at a snails pace and very few are aware of any etiquette. So I believe we have not hit bottom, however the game will never rebound to be truely elitist filled with the upper crust of society, ever again! Those country club days all dressed in white are all gone.

That being said the main reason I dont play as often as I would like is the cost and time. If I play during the week (not counting my league) I have to leave work early. I then pay $45 or more for 18 (counting a cart), simply because most weekday golfers walk.

I then have to spend 4 hours playing, which is not an issue.

However I look at it this way. the time I use to leave work early is time that takes away from vacation time with my kids. I have limited amount of vacation time, so I can not use it to golf often. If I am spending money to golf that is money I am not spending at home. and the cycle goes on and one.

Golf is a luxury in both time and money. and that is a not always a luxury we can afford

But alot of time I think the slow groups in front of me are slow because they dont have the needed skills before they make their way onto the course. I see alot of people playing from the tips when they should be at the driving range.

You need to learn to make contact before you can walk onto a course. you need to know how to hit a ball forward. we all mis hit a ball and we all shank one now and again, but you should not be playing 7200 if you cant effectively move a ball forward.

And dont get me started on driving carts on the greens!

I would advocate joining a league, this way you have a set number of days you play. the greens fees are paid in advance. I play my league on mondays, every monday after work I tee off at 4:30 and play 9 holes, 20 straight weeks. We play on a cheap muni course and walk. It gives me a chance to play every week and get better every week.

[newtogolf]

Quote:

I agree with this, and will add that better instruction is a better solution for the "hard" part.

Time is the other one. If people could get a round in under 3 hours, that might make more better players play more often. I recall not too long ago needing 5 hours to finish a round just because of my lack of skill.

So, teaching people to play by the current rules and conditions will allow them to play faster and reduce the round times making the game more accessible to a wider range of golfers might be the answer?

It's a double edged sword, more people taking up golf means more new golfers on golf courses.  The newer players will likely take longer to play and upset the older, better players who will see their rounds take longer.

We're a fickle group, we want new golfers to help support manufacturers and keep our courses open, but we just don't want them playing while we are.

[Slice of Life]

Quote:

It's a double edged sword, more people taking up golf means more new golfers on golf courses.  The newer players will likely take longer to play and upset the older, better players who will see their rounds take longer.

We're a fickle group, we want new golfers to help support manufacturers and keep our courses open, but we just don't want them playing while we are.

Bad golf doesn't take long, slow golfers take long.

Even when I was starting out and absolutely terrible...I was waiting on people during a 4 hour round while I shot a 130. Nobody was waiting on my group.

3 minute pre-shot routines, standing around, plum-bobbing, walking around the entire green for a straight 3 foot putt...that's where you'll find the slow people.

Nothing like seeing a guy take 17 practice swings and then duff the ball 42 yards. Maybe if he didn't wear himself out before addressing the ball, he would have gotten a better result...

[newtogolf]

Bad golf doesn't take long, slow golfers take long.

Even when I was starting out and absolutely terrible...I was waiting on people during a 4 hour round while I shot a 130. Nobody was waiting on my group.

3 minute pre-shot routines, standing around, plum-bobbing, walking around the entire green for a straight 3 foot putt...that's where you'll find the slow people.

Nothing like seeing a guy take 17 practice swings and then duff the ball 42 yards. Maybe if he didn't wear himself out before addressing the ball, he would have gotten a better result...

I agree, bad golf doesn't "have to" take long but in my limited experiences (3 years) it usually does.  I've seen good golfers take a long time too, so it's not exclusive but if I had to pick one group that plays slower rounds I'd pick the bad golfers.

[Elmer]

Bad golf doesn't take long, slow golfers take long.

Even when I was starting out and absolutely terrible...I was waiting on people during a 4 hour round while I shot a 130. Nobody was waiting on my group.

3 minute pre-shot routines, standing around, plum-bobbing, walking around the entire green for a straight 3 foot putt...that's where you'll find the slow people.

Nothing like seeing a guy take 17 practice swings and then duff the ball 42 yards. Maybe if he didn't wear himself out before addressing the ball, he would have gotten a better result...

How about the guy who reads his 10 foot put from the other side, walks all the way around to the other side. Looks at his put from his side, plum bobs and then putts it only 1/2 way to the hole.

repeat process and cards a triple bogie!

[MS256]

I agree, bad golf doesn't "have to" take long but in my limited experiences (3 years) it usually does.  I've seen good golfers take a long time too, so it's not exclusive but if I had to pick one group that plays slower rounds I'd pick the bad golfers.

"Bad golfers" that are keeping score are slow. No way around it no matter how hard they try. It's just simple math.

When half of the tee shots are over in the knee high native grass or the woods, three quarters of the other half don't go far enough to reach the green so the second shots have the same result, very few up and downs, and it is impossible to play fast.

[Moppy]

" "Bad golfers" that are keeping score are slow. No way around it no matter how hard they try. It's just simple math. "

I am a bad golfer, but not a particularly slow golfer, but I did end up behind a twosome with money on the line, and the one, who was decent (at least he was playing golf) made the other, who was playing something that looked more like field hockey, hunt down and play every stroke.  He hooked one into the woods in front of us about fifty yards down the fairway. We  said "Go ahead, hit another." He points to his friend and says "He won't let me." The then goes and hunts down the ball and hits it from the pine needles another 30 yards. I am just guessing there was money on the game.

One more thing, "playing fast" is not everybody's goal on the course. I am happy to let you through at every opportunity, but I like my time on the course.  I played nine alone with a cart one time and everybody kept waiving me through, I got to the end and was just sort of disappointed it was over already. I guess I should have played 18, as I could have in the time I had allotted, but I would have been happier playing in a foursome and taking my time.  You should build a  course that only allows fast golfers and see how the economics of it works for you.

[Moppy]

As for  cost, remember that a new golfer has no idea where to outfit themselves cheaply, so it is off to Dick's for a $300 set of Top Flights before you can even start. If you are thinking of bringing somebody into golf, help them find cheap but decent clubs and to pick out a good used bag cheap too. I dislike the bag I got from Dick's more than the clubs.

[Lihu]

As for  cost, remember that a new golfer has no idea where to outfit themselves cheaply, so it is off to Dick's for a $300 set of Top Flights before you can even start. If you are thinking of bringing somebody into golf, help them find cheap but decent clubs and to pick out a good used bag cheap too. I dislike the bag I got from Dick's more than the clubs.

I bought a $200 set on sale for less, but in retrospect would have been better off just getting a SW,6i from that same set. Beginners are better off on the range using the SW, with a few occasional shots with the 6i. Once they establish a semblance of a swing, hit the par 3 courses with just those two clubs. No putter. The progression beyond this might require a full set. Those two clubs would have cost me $40 at golfsmith. Too bad I couldn't tell myself 4 years ago to get just those two clubs.

[MS256]

""Bad golfers" that are keeping score are slow. No way around it no matter how hard they try. It's just simple math."

I am a bad golfer, but not a particularly slow golfer, but I did end up behind a twosome with money on the line, and the one, who was decent (at least he was playing golf) made the other, who was playing something that looked more like field hockey, hunt down and play every stroke.  He hooked one into the woods in front of us about fifty yards down the fairway. We  said "Go ahead, hit another." He points to his friend and says "He won't let me." The then goes and hunts down the ball and hits it from the pine needles another 30 yards. I am just guessing there was money on the game.

I'm not saying that good golfers are fast. I'm just saying that if they are slow there is something they can do about it.

Some would say my wife is a "bad golfer" because she usually can't break 100. She is not slow. She hits virtually every fairway but usually takes at least one more stroke than regulation to reach the green. I don't consider that a "bad golfer". Just a golfer that is too short to score very well.

I would, however, consider myself a "bad golfer" on my bad days when I am hitting the ball off-line and all over the course. On those days there's not a chance I can play fast unless I hit something less than a driver and try to get around the course without it becoming too embarrassing. On the really, really bad days when I can't even lay up on-line I am out of options for playing fast and there's nothing I can do about it.

[newtogolf]

I'm not saying that good golfers are fast. I'm just saying that if they are slow there is something they can do about it.

Some would say my wife is a "bad golfer" because she usually can't break 100. She is not slow. She hits virtually every fairway but usually takes at least one more stroke than regulation to reach the green. I don't consider that a "bad golfer". Just a golfer that is too short to score very well.

I would, however, consider myself a "bad golfer" on my bad days when I am hitting the ball off-line and all over the course. On those days there's not a chance I can play fast unless I hit something less than a driver and try to get around the course without it becoming too embarrassing. On the really, really bad days when I can't even lay up on-line I am out of options for playing fast and there's nothing I can do about it.

Not breaking 100 is not a bad golfer in my opinion, the bad golfers I'm referring to are the real newbies that don't break 120 and spend the majority of their time looking for their mishits in the rough and woods.

Your wife has also had the benefit of learning from you, not only how to play golf, but proper etiquette as well.