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Does golf "need to grow"

Templet0n

Templet0n

washed...
Albatross 2024 Club
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Honest question,. You hear it all the time. Grow the game, grow the game.. I know in my area we have lost 4 courses over the past say 10 years. I am not sure any of those were due to lack of play. They could have been, I honestly do not know..

But, my question is. Does golf "need" to grow. If so, why?
 
I think you always need to grow sport. Especially one like golf where lots of people have many preconceived notions about what golf is or who a golfer should be. I think that having it available to play in schools is a big start - get kids interested when they're young and it's more likely to become a lifelong pursuit.

For adults, it's about making the game relatable and again, showing that anyone can be a golfer. And I think THP does a GREAT job of showcasing that. It doesn't matter your skill level - just get out there!
 
chile said:
grow the game...but keep the crowds down?
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Haha.. That is true.. I dont want it to infringe on my ability to make tee times and play as fast as I want... lol..

The hard part with golf is there is a much more finite amount that could actually play right? Courses cant be built over night, or at all due to space constraints. This year was a good example of that.. I played less golf this year than I have in ages just because it was harder to get out.
 
chile said:
grow the game...but keep the crowds down?
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I'm ok with this too. The longer I don't have to hear someone yell some absurdity after watching a tee shot, the better.
 
Courses by me are packed each day, so I’m gonna say no. It’s doing just fine.
 
NVGOLFER80 said:
Haha.. That is true.. I dont want it to infringe on my ability to make tee times and play as fast as I want... lol..

The hard part with golf is there is a much more finite amount that could actually play right? Courses cant be built over night, or at all due to space constraints. This year was a good example of that.. I played less golf this year than I have in ages just because it was harder to get out.
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i barely started playing, and was enjoying being able to show up and go, before they started shutting things down...and now, damn...
 
Yes the proper way, not what we have now with the Pandemic.
 
Snickerdog said:
Yes the proper way, not what we have now with the Pandemic.
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What do you think is the proper way? You may be right.. I wonder if new courses will start to be built..
 
I don’t think it necessarily needs to grow. I think we need to continue to bring kids to the game, respect our courses, but not grow exponentially.
 
I think the $ people want the game to grow. What is more important to me is passing it on to the next generation.
 
It's a tough question because I want to see kids take up the game and enjoy it but on the flip side in our area it seems like we don't need it to grow at all. Rounds are ridiculously long as it is and it's killing some of the fun of golf a bit. I want to play a round in less than 5 hours and I don't want to have to wait every single shot.
 
DataDude said:
I think the $ people want the game to grow. What is more important to me is passing it on to the next generation.
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I like this thought. I am trying to get my kids interest. It would be super fun to actually go play and have my daughters play too.
 
Heckkkk no. Currently we are faced with more and more golfers & less and less courses.
Locally its become an absolute nightmare to get tee times, even in the middle of winter. Hell, there are idiots selling tee times on Craigslist "aftermarket" for inflated costs.

The real estate value, water issues, and tax load on courses means there aren't any new ones coming and every year we seem to lose another one.
 
what does grow the game even mean?
 
Yes it does. The demographic still skews older and as it turns over, younger players need to replace.
 
jin_xianjun said:
what does grow the game even mean?
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Here is an example I heard at some point on the golf channel. One of their talking heads said something to the affect of "we need more woman instructors"...

I thought why? Not that I am against woman instructors. I think if that is what they want to do fantastic. But what drives the need for that? If it happened organically cool. But to try and force it seems odd to me. Maybe it is the thought that if there are woman instructors more youth girls will play?
 
Hopefully there are some courses in the future that will be built. More options to play! I hope more people play. I want to be one of them!
 
JB said:
Yes it does. The demographic still skews older and as it turns over, younger players need to replace.
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Do you think that will ever really change? Just due to the time constraints. Older retired folks have the time and generally freed up resources to play more.

If all three of my daughters decided right now they wanted to play. I am not sure I could afford it. As a fan, I would figure something out, but I think it would hurt..
 
Yes. In my area I was able to get a tee time every weekend I tried although tee sheets were crowded and pace was occasionally an issue. Most of the golfers were older and many of the courses are in need of serious capital investment to improve course conditions. I would like to see more young golfers and courses who feel confident in the future so they can invest in it.
 
Grow the game can have different connotations for different people. To course owners and operators, it means increased revenue. To others in manufacturing and retail, it means increased sales of equipment, apparel and accessories. To me, it means to get others interested in the game to insure its in the best possible position as to the present and the future.
 
I’m not sure if the message is golf needs to grow or golf needs to be more inclusive? Or if being more inclusive is the strategy to grow.

Golf cannot be everything to everybody. The reality is that golf is an expensive game that takes lots of time.
 
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