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Yep. Meant to say decreases.
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You mean decreases, not increases.
The really scary number is how few people age 18-30 are taking up the game.
Most people don't understand that the 15 inch cups aren't meant for the "core golfer" like most of us on this board. If a 15 inch cup gets more beginners and kids to have fun when they are starting to play the game, then what's the problem with them?
.........and guys the 15" cup days and soccer golf stuff aren't for us it's for newbs and kids to go out there and have some fun instead of grinding on every 3 foot putt on some 12+ stimpmeter green with 2 groups backed up in the fairways behind them, steaming.
When did this air? Not on hbo go yet
When did this air? Not on hbo go yet
You cannot separate "Less people playing" from industry dynamics. It doesn't mean less people will play forever, just that less are making a choice to play under current conditions.
Speed up the round times. Lessen the costs of memberships and tee times. Don't charge out the ass for a single bucket of balls (causing training costs to be high for beginners). Don't try to sell $400 drivers to people every 6 months. Cut the costs and the player dynamics will change as well.
So yes, under the current model golf execs should be nervous. That exec in the video seemed as out of touch as you could be, but his thinking is disfigured by his industry position. They can't keep offering the same value proposition/cost structure and see previous results. But they can do new things that will change the dynamics and demographics and someone will do it because there is still a lot of money in it for whomever gets it right.
They were walking around an abandoned course, Bridgewater, that my friends always talk about. They liked that course a lot. It's not far from here, but I never played there.
Damn Straight. I started playing golf 25+ years ago and within a year of starting was able to purchase an adult season pass at a (very early) Pete Dye designed municipal golf course for around $250. That season pass was a great value and it allowed me to play frequently (even if it was only 6-holes in the evening), learn the game & improve. In short holding that season pass for 3-years is completely the reason I still golf today because without it I would have never progressed enough to see any value in playing a round or two of bad golf every month and never would have seen the true potential in my ability.
In todays golf market a junior season pass is easily double what I paid for the adult version 25-years ago and an adult season pass costs roughly the same as 45 or 50 18-hole walking rounds. It is a ridiculous amount of money for that type of single course commitment and I only began paying it a couple years back because I can now afford it and do appreciate the convenience. There is however very little economic value or incentive involved in the transaction. I don't know how many times I have asked occasional golfers to come out for a round with me or with our group and had them say "you know what I don't want to pay $40 or $50 just to go out and play bad golf". They will often play in a looser & more social setting like a scramble but a straight up round of golf is rarely a valued option for them.
Good twilight fees with any real value are hard to find. Afternoon rounds on weekends are usually the same rate as the high demand morning tee times. Leagues are a big issue in my mind. The play is notoriously slow and so many courses shotgun the starts at 5:00 or 5:30 which completely ties up the course and really limits access for the average working golfer. Leagues causing course stagnation seriously devalues the option of an evening 9-hole round or the previously mentioned twilight fee etc. etc.
IMO the first course in my area to figure all of this out and effectively connect with the average golfer, occasional golfer, beginner adults and beginner youth will see some significant success.
The course over in Lakeland? I loved that course!
They were dead the day they decided to keep a trailer opposed to building a legit pro shop. Shame too, as that was a beautiful track.
One must also remember that there is a reason for all of this. Its not just the "greedy" courses, but the costs it takes to keep it maintained and staffed. Labor cost has gone up, salaries have gone up, benefits have skyrocketed, taxes have skyrocketed. These are all areas that have to come from somewhere to stay afloat and golf is no different than any other industry.
Look around at any other entertainment/leisure purchases and you will see the exact same thing. I dont want to make this political, but the middle class is all but gone and disposable income went with it.
Look around at any other entertainment/leisure purchases and you will see the exact same thing. I dont want to make this political, but the middle class is all but gone and disposable income went with it.
I'm also going to add that course expectations have gone up. Not too many golfers want their home course to look like Pinehurts No2. People want lush green fairways and tightly mowed greens. But want to pay for a cow pasture.
One must also remember that there is a reason for all of this. Its not just the "greedy" courses, but the costs it takes to keep it maintained and staffed. Labor cost has gone up, salaries have gone up, benefits have skyrocketed, taxes have skyrocketed. These are all areas that have to come from somewhere to stay afloat and golf is no different than any other industry.
Look around at any other entertainment/leisure purchases and you will see the exact same thing. I dont want to make this political, but the middle class is all but gone and disposable income went with it.
As for the redistribution of wealth I can listen to the argument but not sure I buy it. Myself & every person I played golf with when I started (and the first several years thereafter) were solidly lower middle class in income or worse. We had minimal disposable income but chose golf because the cost/value to enjoyment ratio made some sense. I think just as many people in similar economic circumstances would choose golf today but they have so few courses where they can find the value or justify the cost.
Open some of those courses for more public play. Advertise the hell out of your facilities, book events, convert the stuffy club house to a more upscale sports bar and you could absolutely increase traffic. I'll save names but I have a two clients looking to do just this right now, and running the numbers they're not worried about the bottom line. It pens well enough for them with the lower annual traffic assumptions.
People complain now about the cost of clubs, yet they have not risen in two decades. The cost of golf balls 9 is up, but more choices and technology in golf balls has given less expensive options.