Flav

I work two jobs. One full time m-f and one part time usually just two weekends on call a month. But the pt gig is 15 minutes from the home course so it's easy to get a round or range session in after work. Wife gets two days a week where she's out early or off so those are my two weekday after work rounds while it's still light out. Otherwise in the fall and winter it's weekends only and it's either Saturday or Sunday but never both unless out of town guests want to play. Hour lunch means a trip to the gym or range. Im lucky to live and work within a five minute drive to a driving range or at the very least a par 3 course. It's all about managing your time.

Your not a real golfer if you cannot quote one line from Caddyshack or Tin Cup. "Don't sell yourself short Judge, you're a tremendous slouch."

Well if it's busy they will likely be joined by a random solo that day anyway. At least in this case you get an am tee time if that's what you desire.

Don't know how but forgot "two gloves" so there were two local guys. Guess he's just farther away so I forget him.

There was a local guy playing in it do I watched a lot of it. He didn't do so well but it was nice to see Shank out there grinding.

Oh how I am thankful for this decision yesterday. Landed my tee shot into a fire ant nest and no way I was hitting it outta that. One fire ant "dance" is enough for me in this lifetime.

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.

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.

Here is an interesting view from someones comment on the article that made me post this question. "Golf's biggest challenge is over coming a culture and society that values teams sports. Most parents have no problem shelling out almost a grand for a hockey season or hundreds for a travel team in baseball or even a couple hundred for a little league season as its seen as a chance for their kids to make friends. Golf on the other hand is seen as a solo sport where your not going to have a lot of social interaction or learn team work. A lot of young adults see all the negative such as slow play and never see the positive." I can see some of this applying to adults as well. The younger crowd is more into the social aspects of things and fail to see the friendships that can be made on the course. Add in a lot of business deals are no longer done on the course so to speak it's easy to see why the decline is happening.

A lot of the money issue is priorities and the perception golf is expensive to start. New golfers need , like it's been stated a few times, us established golfers to show its not. There is no excuse that a beginner should have the perception they cannot play twice a month at a par3 or executive or muni course for under 40 dollars. No reason they should feel that they can not play with clubs that cost 100 or less for a set. The initial cost may be higher than baseball or basketball but it's up to the golfers to show it can be cheap. By the way have you seen the 200 dollar baseball bats or 100 dollar gloves lately they sell for kids? Did a little research on the way to pick up lunch. A driver, hybrid , 6iron, pw, sw and putter plus bag at playitagain sports was from 50-100 dollars and they had balls 4 for 1.00. The local par3 with holes 100 -160 yards was 7 dollars for 9 while walking. If someone wants to learn to golf , leaves the game while saying it's expensive all while paying hundreds for cell phones etc it just goes to show they were never going to be a long term player anyway.

That's why they need youth leagues like Little League for example. Get the younger ones involved more and the sport will lose stereotypes like that and grow.

Memberships are they way to go if you don't mind playing the same course more times than not. Cost is something you can control as is the time in most cases. In my opinion people who like golf will stick around no matter what. They will find a way to play once or twice a month, even if it's just a charity scramble tournaments. They understand golf is not a game to be mastered. People with no patience are the ones who leave it before they even give it a chance. People who are good or great at other sports and expect it to be the same with golf right from the start leave. Those with patience and an understanding golf can be an unforgiving game stay and relish the good shots. One way to reverse the decline would be for the pga, usga start a positive campaign. Get adds with people saying why they started and why they like to play. Get more courses to start buddy programs. My club pairs potential members and first time players with current members who volunteer to play with them. Usually involves no swing tips etc but help with etiquette and taking the intimidation factor away. There are simple steps to take to solve this dilemma until the economy picks up.

[URL]http://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/golf[/URL] Also has golfing listed as a verb.

[URL]http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/12/golf.html[/URL] Pretty good article about it.

Thanks :)

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.

That has made it easier for me for sure. She now has her own starter set. If it's a day where I call and it's dead she goes with me and chips on to the greens and putts. Will get her going on hitting onto the greens after she gets a couple lessons under her belt. Chipping is about all I want to attempt to show her.

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?

Have to admit I feel the same way. It's not hurting me. I prefer to play by the rules but will not force anyone else unless it's a competition but like you said they will only hurt themselves in the long run.

Only about two maybe three weeks left of after work golf. Then it's just weekends. Not terrible but it's as depressing as it gets in fall/winter in the southeast. Definitely one reason I will never move back up north.

Mindset is spot on. I get into the I have to crush it thought pattern and I do crush it a whole 20 yards. It's mostly when I play with certain people who I am very competitive with. Otherwise that desire to crush it doesn't appear that often and when it does its short lived. I will have to check out your book.

Swinging to fast and or hard. When I slow it down and swing smooth and through the ball instead of trying to "hit" the ball its like a different player took the shot. I know when I commit this offense when I pull my head up and top the crap out of the ball.

Well on a more humorous note my friend called today at lunch and after some light hearted picking at him yesterday while we were all watching football his wife went out and bought him a huge package of sharpies in a variety of colors and dropped it off to him at work this morning alone with a dozen balls. I think the problem is solved.

May or may not happen again. Hasn't ever marked his ball. We did mention that to him. Maybe he will now no matter the circumstances. Me I normally have all mine marked with a big smiley face. Nothing better than smacking the smile off it. Just happened to have a basically empty course and all three of us where using different brands so we didn't think twice about it. Mine were basically marked as they were those funny custom logo balls you can buy as gifts. Haven't lost one in the water yet as "I can't swim" is stamped on them. Funny gift from the wifey.

Pace of play on a Friday at 5pm is not an issue as there is normally 4 groups besides the local college team practicing on the course. The problem is one ball would have given an advantage to the other player that hit into our fairway. It was a clean shot back to the other fairway while one would have had to be punch under or attempted to go over the group of trees. The other guy played the easier of the two and duffed it five yards. Good choice of balls I would say. They didn't have to wait for us as they reached their green when we reached ours.