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Grow the game

Templet0n

Templet0n

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You hear this all the time. “Grow the game”. “Need to grow the game” etc etc etc

What does that mean? Does it really need growing? And growing where? Does that mean we need more courses? Or just pack the courses we have even worse?

I am always kinda confused by what the mean..
 
More revenue for the OEM’s and ruling bodies, regardless of local impact…where’s the confusion there? 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
stryper said:
More revenue for the OEM’s and ruling bodies, regardless of local impact…where’s the confusion there? 🤷🏻‍♂️
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It’s this. All it’s ever been.
 
Depends on who's saying it. A lot of times it's just buzz-word nonsense to make more money. But some are using it to mean bringing the game into previously underrepresented areas, like what Underrated Golf is trying to do.
 
Templet0n said:
You hear this all the time. “Grow the game”. “Need to grow the game” etc etc etc

What does that mean?
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People and organizations within the golf industry , LIV players etc... are using "grow the game" as a marketing slogan.
To truly "grow the game" what's needed is more par 3 courses, short courses, driving ranges, promotion of PGA certified instruction etc... , because this is what junior players and other newcomers to golf should have to help them get the most satisfaction from learning-playing golf.
 
More people playing golf is good. In theory, more people playing golf drives competition between courses, OEMs and every other business involved with golf. The idea is prices go down.

But we all know that's not what happens.
 
There are many places the DP, LIV, Asian Tour want to grow the game where there would be very little economic impact to major OEM's from getting poor kids in developing states playing golf. First Tee does a lot of growing the game.

I had 4 buddies try out golf during Covid. At my suggestion, we got each of them used clubs to start with a very rough fitting estimate on my part and a promise to take them to a box store to try out stuff as they progressed and maybe even a full fitting at an independent fitter. 1 of the 4 had a baby shortly after and never even finished building his used set. 2 of the 4 played, improved, plateaus, and play infrequently. Last of the bunch actually caught the bug and recently was fitted at Cool Clubs. Only 1 of the 4 actually gave any money to an OEM. The others only bought off ebay and went to Savers.

While it maybe true that growing the game means more revenue for OEM's, I do try to be less cynical. Although come on will they really get any money from some of these events overseas?
 
I'd like more courses. Public courses here in Austin are packed to the brim. Very difficult to get weekend tee times.
 
Templet0n said:
You hear this all the time. “Grow the game”. “Need to grow the game” etc etc etc

What does that mean? Does it really need growing? And growing where? Does that mean we need more courses? Or just pack the courses we have even worse?

I am always kinda confused by what the mean..
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You love the controversial topics don't you
gif-eating-popcorn-61.gif
 
Louis_Posture said:
People and organizations within the golf industry , LIV players etc... are using "grow the game" as a marketing slogan.
To truly "grow the game" what's needed is more par 3 courses, short courses, driving ranges, promotion of PGA certified instruction etc... , because this is what junior players and other newcomers to golf should have to help them get the most satisfaction from learning-playing golf.
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I like everything you said after the LIv slam.
 
stryper said:
More revenue for the OEM’s and ruling bodies, regardless of local impact…where’s the confusion there? 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Grow their wallets
 
For me it's a personal thing. 4 kids who are all adults who were exposed to game since they could walk. All 4 know the game and can play. One plays quite well and often. Another plays a fair amount and is playing more as time passes. Two just don't have time to get at it. Then those 4 have 11 kids. My Grands. I've put clubs in bags and given to all 11. Have offered up lessons and taken all that cared to to play. But other sports take precedent over golf with 9 of them. 2 seem to want to learn as much as possible. That's my world of trying to grow the game.
 
GolfTravelDude said:
For me it's a personal thing. 4 kids who are all adults who were exposed to game since they could walk. All 4 know the game and can play. One plays quite well and often. Another plays a fair amount and is playing more as time passes. Two just don't have time to get at it. Then those 4 have 11 kids. My Grands. I've put clubs in bags and given to all 11. Have offered up lessons and taken all that cared to to play. But other sports take precedent over golf with 9 of them. 2 seem to want to learn as much as possible. That's my world of trying to grow the game.
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I think this one..
 
I’m firmly in the shrink the game camp.


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Looking at it from a long-term prospective, "growing the game" means getting younger blood into it so they can replace the cranky old skyfisters who are on the verge of assuming room temperature.

In the short term, it means we can't get tee times, and the courses can jack green fees to exorbitant levels and use "surge pricing" to make it even more unaffordable to all but the affluent.
 
BigMac said:
Looking at it from a long-term prospective, "growing the game" means getting younger blood into it so they can replace the cranky old skyfisters who are on the verge of assuming room temperature.

In the short term, it means we can't get tee times, and the courses can jack green fees to exorbitant levels and use "surge pricing" to make it even more unaffordable to all but the affluent.
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This is pretty much what I was thinking. The game needs younger generations to embrace the game to continue on. But I feel like a lot of places are taking advantage of the current situation and screwing a lot of people. I hope somehow it settles. It's out of hand in some places (maybe a lot of places) it seems.
 
Growing the game is an existential issue for golf. This sport uses a lot of land and a lot of water, and especially within a 2 hour drive of urban areas, both are getting to be in short supply. If golf becomes this niche game where a small number of old rich men are hoarding all this land and water, it becomes easier to vote for city governments and developers to take it from them. If there's a wider player base and a more vocal player base on that course, then that gets tougher.

OEMs are in on it for self-interest, but it's not necessarily as cynical as padding next quarter's bottom line. They just want to still have customers in 20 years. It's existential for them too.

Anyway, I'm not going to sit here and say that having a bunch of new players hasn't hurt the individual experience. I played a 5 1/2 hour round Saturday - yes you read that right! - behind a bunch of broccili cut zoomer kids who were playing off the blues and shanking every ball they hit. It was brutal, and I'm shocked a marshal didn't boot them off. But without them, that course is getting turned into condos. It's deal with slow rounds now, or wait 10 years and have no rounds.
 
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“Grow the game” is a vague platitude that sounds good but really doesn’t mean much on its own.

What I hope it means is being more welcoming to people who don’t fit the stereotype of rich to upper middle class white guy. I’ve heard too many stories from people who don’t look like me about having a horrible time when they tried to get started with golf. Too many of them are not golfing now because of it.

Louis_Posture said:
what's needed is more par 3 courses, short courses, driving ranges,
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This 1,000%. Par 3 and executive courses make the game more accessible to more people. Short courses make the game less intimidating and less expensive.
 
There was a time when I think interest in the game waning and the younger generations were not showing real interest.

Feels like that time is gone now, at least for the time being.

Maybe they can focus on growing the professional game a bit for a while instead haha
 
It’s the mantra , that all those with financial interest shareholding in the game espouse ….

So that increased returns and maintains its relevance amongst its competitors

In evidence , that’s hard as so many demographics play it in different degrees of participation …

Very interesting question
 
Grow the game, getting more people involved and it to be more mainstream. I don't think it'll ever mess with the big 4 in America, but that's what growth would looke like.
 
I think growth will come from more "peripheral" golf stuff like sims and topgolf. Which i'm sure is fine for the big companies (Callaway owns TopGolf etc)

Growing the game of golf, the traditional one, was never realistic....and i always thought it was a bit silly....time/cost/land etc....

I always used the same analogy, people in the horseback riding community aren't saying that equestrian sports needs to grow. They understand the limitations
 
MtlJeff said:
I think growth will come from more "peripheral" golf stuff like sims and topgolf. Which i'm sure is fine for the big companies (Callaway owns TopGolf etc)
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Callaway Golf management has stated that approximately 15% of never-before-played-golf visitors to TopGolf become interested enough in the game to give real golf a try.
So, from Callaway management perspective the TopGolf locations bring revenue to the company, create future customers for golf equipment, and helps grow the game.
 
I don't really know what the answer is. Maybe growing the game can be adding some new courses to the area around me that aren't as reliant on water as other courses... more people playing golf in general... 🤷‍♂️
 
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