The Internet is Killing Golf [Chicago Golf Magazine]

[vangator]

I have often noticed that everybody I see is always looking down at their phones.  I've never seen anything that has so overtaken society like cell phones.  I'm amazed how many drivers are on their phones while driving.  It's an addiction.

I don't own a cell phone.  My wife and kids have them (and I pay for them), but I don't even know how to use them.  I've made a couple of calls on them, but they have to do it for me.

I've haven't played a video game since graduating college 35 years ago except for a few Pac Mans at Chuckie Cheese,  I do play Spider Solitaire and Free Cell from time to time on my computer.  Never played on a Wii or Xbox or anything like that.  I basically live under a rock.

[Club Rat]

4 minutes ago, vangator said:

I basically live under a rock.

Your probably much safer there than on the roads with the many distracted drivers on their phones texting.   

The Internet killing people more than it's killing Golf

[Dave325]

11 minutes ago, vangator said:

I have often noticed that everybody I see is always looking down at their phones.  I've never seen anything that has so overtaken society like cell phones.  I'm amazed how many drivers are on their phones while driving.  It's an addiction.

I don't own a cell phone.  My wife and kids have them (and I pay for them), but I don't even know how to use them.  I've made a couple of calls on them, but they have to do it for me.

I've haven't played a video game since graduating college 35 years ago except for a few Pac Mans at Chuckie Cheese,  I do play Spider Solitaire and Free Cell from time to time on my computer.  Never played on a Wii or Xbox or anything like that.  I basically live under a rock.

I applaud you.  I work in the technical field, so for now... I am held captive to it. But when I retire a few years from now.... I'm walking off that grid. 

[mcanadiens]

The internet has definitely had an effect on society as a whole, but it simply adds to the overall issue golf has. It didn't create the issue itself.

The biggest single issue is that its an extremely difficult game for someone to try without making a big investment. Friends of mine may go to the range with me once. They'll batter a few balls and come to the conclusion that golf isn't for them. It's too hard. Someone has to really want to play in order to devote the time, effort and cash necessary to really derive enjoyment from the game.

On a side note, people with their faces buried in their device annoy me. I was at a New Year's party and the host's husband spent the entire evening on the couch with his I-Pad (or something like that). She was busting her ass and that guy put it down long enough to say hello and good bye.

 

[vangator]

9 hours ago, Dave325 said:

I applaud you.  I work in the technical field, so for now... I am held captive to it. But when I retire a few years from now.... I'm walking off that grid. 

I work in the technical field as well (Aerospace).  People tell me I'm the only one they know without a cell phone.  That really seems strange to me because I hate the idea of people being able to interrupt me at will.  My wife wants me to get a cell phone so she can "get ahold of me when she needs to".  That's a big reason I don't have one.   I am thinking of getting a Trac Phone and throwing it in my glove box for emergencies.

Plus, I've seen people with cool golf GPS apps.  We used my wife's phone like a Tom Tom many times.

 

9 hours ago, Club Rat said:

Your probably much safer there than on the roads with the many distracted drivers on their phones texting.   

The Internet killing people more than it's killing Golf

I haven't been in an accident since I was 18 (now 58), but 2 years ago I was rear-ended at a light by a teenager texting on her cell phone.  I was on my way home from the golf course. I really contemplated pressing charges, but I didn't think I was hurt and she was really shaken up.  A couple of days later my neck started hurting and still hurts to this day.  Not bad, but annoying.  Eucalyptus oil alleviates the pain.

[mcanadiens]

15 minutes ago, vangator said:

I am thinking of getting a Trac Phone and throwing it in my glove box for emergencies.

This is what I do. Problem is that I keep forgetting to charge it and keep the service days updated.

[Club Rat]

16 minutes ago, vangator said:

Plus, I've seen people with cool golf GPS apps.

They also run on other thin clients like a PDA. I used a BT GPS with a HP Ipaq long before Apps and Garmin type devices. Cheap way to go.

[NJpatbee]

I could make an argument either way, but I believe the impact of the internet on golf and other outdoor activities is exaggerated.  As others have said, first it was television, videos, cell phones, electronic games, and now the internet.  There were always couch potato kids who preferred TV, board games, or reading over sports.  The internet for many of us has opened up a whole world of information, education, entertainment, and communication that for myself has improved the quality of my life.  But it has not taken away my drive to be on a golf course or fly fishing a trout stream.

My grandson started playing golf at age 8 and has had 3 seasons.  What has limited his golf time is organized baseball, basketball, soccer, track, and basketball.  From a grandparent's view there is much more involvement in multiple activities today as compared to my childhood.  There are pros and cons to this, but the internet can be used to enhance interest in any activity, which is what a forum like this does.  

[Grumpter]

13 hours ago, Dave325 said:

Could it be caused by some of the things mentioned earlier... The Internet, cell phones, video games? Probably. But there are a couple characteristics that I defintely see waning over the years...... Passion, Persistence and stick-to-it-iveness. Not that these are completely gone.... Just becoming a bit rare.

I think it has more to do with other things for example I live in a neighborhood with a large mix of ages with a good percent having kids. I drive by a few bus stops on my short commute to work and see 5 kids and 8 parents waiting for the bus. On the weekends you would think there would be kids out playing but it is very, very rare. The parents in the neighborhood I grew up in and other neighborhoods used to kick the kids outside if they were spending too much time indoors. We had plenty of distractions like the internet but still had plenty of time outdoors.

[newtogolf]

I approach golf like I do video games, the goal of video games is to beat the game, in golf it's to beat your lowest score.

I have more natural ability when it comes to video games than I do golf, but that just makes me more determined to improve in golf.  I think anyone who's competitive will enjoy golf because it's a game that puts you against the course.

The difficulty with kids is getting them interested enough in golf to get those competitive juices flowing so that they want to get better.

[Aflighter]

I think the bottom line is you either decide to be a golfer and play or you dont.I wont blame something and say it keeps you from playing golf.A real golfer will prefer to play over being on their phone, being on internet, video games, tv, etc.

[DrvFrShow]

Here's what's killing golf. Real wages have barely budged for decades for most workers. According to Pew Research, adjusted to 2014 dollars it has remained at about $20/hr since the 1960s regardless of whether the economy is adding or subtracting jobs. Now minimum wage laws have passed in Seattle and Tacoma making them $15/hr and $12/hr respectively. What is considered middle income is changing. 

Two worker households can make up the difference for only so long, then eventually the cost of living catches up.

It's too expensive for middle income people to raise a golfer. Most of the kids I see at the range are from the next income tier above middle income. The number of people in this group drops off drastically.

Golf lessons aren't cheap. Practicing golf isn't cheap. Playing golf isn't cheap. Clubs aren't cheap either, but they're probably the cheapest part, because you can get by with second hand off e-bay for a while, but eventually your rising star will want a new set of blades, a sweet $450 driver, and some killer metal-woods by around age 14. This not to mention some killer rags to wear around the course. So in addition to weekly lessons for your kid at $60 a pop during golf season; daily range sessions at about $15 each; and two rounds of golf per week at between $25 and 60/rd at your public course or your annual country club membership cost onto which you had to add him which probably includes the range time and unlimited rounds. But if you're in the latter category with the country club membership, you're not in the middle income bracket. On top of this you have to add in tournament costs after a certain age if your kid is any good. Probably about 10 per year. And after hitting over 100,000 balls and having atomic clock timing, possibly one appearance at the US Open at 17 as an amateur. Should be shooting around 66-68 by now, right? Hopefully he remembers you when he wins his first major.... if he wins a major.

Basketball costs $140 for a pair of shoes; $40 for a pair of shorts; and $30 for shirt. Only one person needs to have a ball. And a gym membership may cost about $50/mo for the family. Then there's the high school. Uniforms are usually provided. Middle and lower income people can afford this. 

Volleyball and soccer are pretty cheap in comparison to golf, too. 

Tennis? Not so much. It costs about $30,000/yr to teach a kid to be able to play tennis at the national level. Court time, lessons, tournaments. You don't see many kids in middle class neighborhoods playing tennis either.

FYI, in my neighborhood, I see the kids outside playing every single day. They're playing touch football on the street. Riding bikes. They're playing basketball on the basketball court. They're active. They're not sitting inside playing video games. They're outside even when it's drizzling. They're outside when it snows. So I don't think it's "the kids today." I don't think it's the parents today either. It's easy to point fingers, but I think it boils down to the fact that people just don't have the money.

[MrDC]

We hear this "instant gratification" thing a lot and I see no evidence of it being true, one could even argue the opposite, that too much instant gratification makes people want to do things that are more rewarding over the long term, who really knows?

Golf is not unpopular because of that IMO, it being hard is a big factor but it's not that people expect instant results, it's that one can practice and play for years and still stink, that's a hard pill to swallow, but hardly an instant gratification thing.

Edited January 22, 2016 by MrDC

[vangator]

17 minutes ago, MrDC said:

We hear this "instant gratification" thing a lot and I see no evidence of it being true, one could even argue the opposite, that too much instant gratification makes people want to do things that are more rewarding over the long term, who really knows?

Golf is not unpopular because of that IMO, it being hard is a big factor but it's not that people expect instant results, it's that one can practice and play for years and still stink, that's a hard pill to swallow, but hardly an instant gratification thing.

That's the story of my life.....

I think DrvFrShow nailed it.

[Coronagolfman]

On 1/11/2016 at 11:00 AM, Club Rat said:

On the other hand (The Internet) also gives "Golfers" the ability to do so much more.

Like Golf Apps, make tee times, shop for items, find sales, learn golf by reading, watching videos, even join a great golf form like "TST" The Internet hinders and helps in many aspects of a daily routine, it's how a user chooses to manage the essentials they choose. Many people are able to play more golf with the ability to take care of business while on a golf course.

Golf is also a means to getaway from the Internet.

 

Agree totally with the above post in terms of the Internet being a blessing or a curse depending on what it does for you.

I don't have a regular group of guys I play golf with so having tee times on the Internet makes it so much easier to book a time and play whenever and wherever I want.  I can do a lot of things for my work remotely so it is a great help when it would be inconvenient to have to run to the office.

It's all about the way you use the Internet is it not?  If you want to spend hours online avoiding reality then perhaps its not a great invention; if you use the information on the Internet to facilitate activities in your life then it seems like its a wonderful invention.

 

[JonMA1]

On January 22, 2016 at 3:45 PM, DrvFrShow said:

It's too expensive for middle income people to raise a golfer. Most of the kids I see at the range are from the next income tier above middle income.

I don't believe golf - as a recreational sport - needs to be expensive. Now if a parent has aspirations of their child being the next TW, than yeah. But those same parents will spend a ton of money on any sport. Check out how much travel baseball and softball leagues cost, or gymnastics, or skiing/snowboarding... 

I think there's a perception that golf is for the wealthy. Hell, I used to believe that. And that may be more of a reality in other regions of the country. But I now know that it isn't the case in this area.

• My course membership is dirt cheap. But here's the kicker - children 15 and under receive a complimentary membership. http://caberfaepeaks.com/golf/membership-info/

• Another local course under new management poured a ton of money into the course to improve it in 2015. While they raised rates a small amount, they also agreed to let the high school team play tournaments and practice for free. "Good PR" the general manager told me. 

Jesus, everything has gotten expensive. Not just golf.

I don't know what's killing golf or if the game is even dying. But if it is, I'd wager that there isn't a single cause.