How do you grow the game of Golf?

[DB86]

I’m sure this has been posted before, or at least something similar. After listening to a few recent podcasts and going to topgolf, it really got me thinking about ways to grow the game. First I’d like to say that I believe the term “grow the game” is thrown around way to much these days. Almost every interview or podcast you hear touches on it and all of the pros talk about it. I just wonder how much is actually being done. It’s almost like telling your high school sweetheart “I love you”. But anyway back to the question....how would you grow the game or what do you see happening that you think has helped to do so?

My recent visit to top golf really opened my eyes to this. I was totally blown away by the people that were there. It was In the middle of the week, about 4:30 PM and very cold. The place was packed. Much to my surprise it was packed with people that probably haven’t ever swung a club before in their life. Even more to my surprise, all of these people seemed to be having the time of their lives. I really think that they are on to something here. It’s like killing to birds with one stone. With one it is a good business strategy and with the other, you are getting people interested in Golf. I really feel like most of the people there wouldn’t ever consider Golf in another setting. Now that they have been exposed to it, they may want to pick it up a little more seriously. Anyway you get the point I’m trying to make.

I don’t think topgolf is the fixall, but I do believe it makes Golf “the big scary monster” a lot More friendly to the average person and that can’t hurt.

So what are some of your ideas or things that you see happening?

In the end I just want my children to have the opportunity to enjoy the game as much as I do.




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[SquirrelyDave]

Golf is golf. It’s going to ebb and flow like everything else. It’s balanced back out after the tiger era and it’s going to grow some.

I think shortening rounds is a great option. I know several people who might be able to hit a 3 or 6 hole loop that can’t find time to play 18. I play 9 holes more than I play 18, just because I don’t have 4 hours to spend on a course.

 

[aljaklaw]

12 hole courses and more TopGolf-style ranges

subsidized play for youth

more school involvement

 

[DB86]

I agree 100% with shorter rounds. I probably play twice as many 9 hole rounds as I do 18. Around our area it seems like Golf in school almost doesn’t exist. We have high school teams, but they’re very small at best and usually made up by the “somebody’s”. Or at least that’s what I remember from when I was in school. I m with you. I feel like the school system should do a lot more to help. I guess since they don’t make a few grand every Friday night from Golf like other sports, they don’t have as much interest.


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[RickPro]

we just need a superstar that connects to the people. rickie fowler would be excellent if he could just win often and consistently. Just like the NBA, people follow the superstars. back in the day people want to dunk and do fancy layups. now everyone wants to shoot 3 pointers.
Tiger was great because he was an amazing golfer and he isn't white. This spoke to and connected to the masses. I was in high school when tiger woods was on the seen. He grew the sport tremendously. People came to golf tryouts and it was ridiculous. it grew 400% or more people from one year to the next tying out because of tiger woods. everyone was playing, everyone was on the range, everyone was on the course, tons of people wearing TW golf hats, etc...
We just need a superstar that can appeal to the masses and play at a level that people want to imitate.

 

[ProZoneGolf]

I think women (and kids) should be given a discount to play somehow. Need more gals playn!

 

[-CJ-]

I think women (and kids) should be given a discount to play somehow. Need more gals playn!

They really need to promote the LPGA more, the coverage is very sparse. More exposure for women's golf will hopefully inspire more to try it out.

Oddly golf still has a stigma of Elitist, expensive, and/or a retiree's game too. Which is not true, but many think it is and wont even try. I don't know how to break that view.

 

[blugold]

Make more rules but make sure that those rules are quite confusing. Keep making the game harder by banning equipment that make the game more fun for a few players. Allow the very best, the top .0001%, in the game to be the focus of 99% of all rule changes. Focus more and more on the long ago history and tradition of the game and not embrace the up and coming talent and trends. Lastly, make new equipment rules so that the new equipment is restricted and the old guys who complain the loudest can have their legacies/egos protected.

That appears to be the USGA game plan at least!

 

[JB]

They really need to promote the LPGA more, the coverage is very sparse. More exposure for women's golf will hopefully inspire more to try it out.

Oddly golf still has a stigma of Elitist, expensive, and/or a retiree's game too. Which is not true, but many think it is and wont even try. I don't know how to break that view.

I love the LPGA. But has any large sport in the US grown because of more coverage? Im asking genuinely.

 

[-CJ-]

I love the LPGA. But has any large sport in the US grown because of more coverage? Im asking genuinely.

Sorry "Coverage" was the wrong word. Promote might be a better word. Women's sports in general are not promoted enough, I get it that the ROI on women's sports is not there, it would be nice though.

 

[MrDC]

The game as we know it has grown to it's capacity, we'll never see another Tiger explosion.

So the game has to follow Korea's lead, where screen golf is bigger than the courses, that's what young people want, a mixed video game of golf, you still have to execute shots but all the "bad stuff" like cost, time, slow play, difficulty, etc are not a concern, and you can hang out on a couch with your friends and compete with a beer in hand, clean and comfy, those that don't want to play can just get drunk and hang out.

Personally I have no interest and never will, and I don't really consider it "the game", but what I do accept is that simulated golf of some sort is the future.

 

[pumbaa]

The game as we know it has grown to it's capacity, we'll never see another Tiger explosion.

So the game has to follow Korea's lead, where screen golf is bigger than the courses, that's what young people want, a mixed video game of golf, you still have to execute shots but all the "bad stuff" like cost, time, slow play, difficulty, etc are not a concern, and you can hang out on a couch with your friends and compete with a beer in hand, clean and comfy, those that don't want to play can just get drunk and hang out.

Personally I have no interest and never will, and I don't really consider it "the game", but what I do accept is that simulated golf of some sort is the future.

I 2nd this. I have actually looked into opening a simulator bar/arcade. 4-5 sim bays with tournaments and competitive pay, Golden tee and other arcade games, with good food and local beer.

 

[MakingARun]

I love the LPGA. But has any large sport in the US grown because of more coverage? Im asking genuinely.

As far as media coverage goes? The NFL is on 3 days a week and has its own channel. The NBA has nationally televised games several times of week and you can watch the games in Europe and Asia. Both of those sports have overtaken Baseball as America’s past time. Even if you don’t care for these sports, they’re pushed down your throat that you’re almost forced to watch. The person that doesn’t know anything about basketball can recite the names LeBron, Steph Curry, and KD. I don’t know how many professional golfers that person could name (outside of Tiger Woods).

I think golf (PGA & LPGA) have incredible players, but those individuals need to be marketed better. Let’s be honest, when Tiger is competitive the game does well ( i.e., grows). With his second place finish in the PGA championship in 2018 and his Masters win this year , a generation of players finally got experience what golf is like when he’s on the leaderboard. I know I became interested in the sport seeing an amateur Tiger Woods play in professional tournaments. I’m sure many of the top players in the world that are under 35 would tell you he inspired/influenced their interest in the sport. Not to go too far off topic, but I believe increasing coverage and pushing the stars from the PGA & LPGA would do wonders for the sport.


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[DataDude]

Any game where you have to at least pay $200 for equipment before you even try it is going to depend on some benevolence to get people going. Almost everyone starts because someone bought them or gave them clubs.

 

[Awstyn]

I think local exposure is where it is at.

High School golf, Boys & Girls Club, First Tee, Parents, etc. I'm not sure how many non-golfers realize that many practice facilities are free or reasonable.

I wish Golf Courses would work with High School Physical Education teachers, and promote the game (Beyond the sports program). I also could support adding a dollar fee towards a round to provide for free junior golf.

I also believe that a beginner shouldn't play a standard course until, they understand the basics of golfing etiquette. Especially, when it comes to pace of play.
Filling your cart cooler, or having your 8 year old(s) playing with you from the whites on a packed and crowded weekend, will likely not be a welcome introduction.
Both can be great, but going in blind will lead to lost balls, lost interest and other lost opportunities (and that includes more than the people you brought in the car).

Par 3 courses, video golf, etc. can be a good portal.

The best way to grow the game, is to ask someone. "Living under par" is how you make a living in golf, not a slogan of how to keep enjoying it.

 

[MakingARun]

Good point @DataDude The “buy-in” for golf is cost prohibitive for many people. Even if you are gifted a set of clubs, it will cost at minimum $20 to use the clubs to play 9-holes. Basketball and football don’t have this issue. As someone previously mentioned, about golf having a stigma of being elitist. I don’t think it’s a stigma, it’s the truth. It’s not diverse and that doesn’t appeal to a lot of people.


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[radiman]

I 2nd this. I have actually looked into opening a simulator bar/arcade. 4-5 sim bays with tournaments and competitive pay, Golden tee and other arcade games, with good food and local beer.

We have one in town. In fact, it's the only option for swinging the sticks in the winter (unless you have your own sim). They absolutely kill in the winter. I am not particularly fond of the AboutGolf simulators they use as they are not very accurate and after playing in a league there this winter, it seems to have ingrained some bad habits into my swing. But, that's beside the point. They run two leagues, a Fall and Winter. They have great drink specials and have 6 bays. Runs about $45-$55 an hour depending on what day you play. They even partake in local pool and dart leagues. They even have a been bag league. They have monthly scramble tournaments too.

From what I was told, it was a pretty hefty investment as each sim was $50k or more. Don't know how long it would take them to pay off that initial investment. In my years playing in their various leagues, I have run into all sorts of skill levels. A lot of guys just took the game up. They play small town muni's in the summer and play the leagues in the winter at the indoor sim.

 

[radiman]

I think exposure is where it is at.

High School golf, Boys & Girls Club, First Tee, Parents, etc. I'm not sure how many non-golfers realize that many practice facilities are free or reasonable.

I wish Golf Courses would work with High School Physical Education teachers, and promote the game (Beyond the sports program). I also could support adding a dollar fee towards a round to provide for free junior golf.

I also believe that a beginner shouldn't play a standard course until, they understand the basics of golfing etiquette. Especially, when it comes to pace of play.
Filling your cart cooler, or having your 8 year old(s) playing with you from the whites on a packed and crowded weekend, will likely not be a welcome introduction.
Both can be great, but going in blind will lead to lost balls, lost interest and other lost opportunities (and that includes more than the people you brought in the car).

Par 3 courses, video golf, etc. can be a good portal.

The best way to grow the game, is to ask someone. "Living under par" is how you make a living in golf, not a slogan of how to keep enjoying it.

We lack decent par 3 courses. We have one true par 3 course in town that is overrun by senior citizens. No offense to them. But, it's always busy and the round is excruciatingly slow. A lot of folks that have played there comment on feeling unwelcomed by the players. We had an absolute dog track just outside of town owned by the city. It was $5 to play around the course as many times as you wanted. It was great for beginners and kids. They nixed it and built a park dedicated to the performing arts.

 

[fupresti]

How about we stop worrying about growing the game and just make the game better for those who play it?

 

[Awstyn]

How about we stop worrying about growing the game and just make the game better for those who play it?

Because it is expensive to have private courses. That is a big lawn.
Without players, I can't play. I also like options, affordable ones.

 

[fupresti]

Because it is expensive to have private courses. That is a big lawn.
Without players, I can't play. I also like options, affordable ones.

Supply and demand has a way of finding an equilibrium.

 

[Awstyn]

We lack decent par 3 courses. We have one true par 3 course in town that is overrun by senior citizens. No offense to them. But, it's always busy and the round is excruciatingly slow. A lot of folks that have played there comment on feeling unwelcomed by the players. We had an absolute dog track just outside of town owned by the city. It was $5 to play around the course as many times as you wanted. It was great for beginners and kids. They nixed it and built a park dedicated to the performing arts.

Yeah, I get that. The nice thing about 150 markers is, that you have a distance. Do it Seve style.

 

[darthweasel]

I love the LPGA. But has any large sport in the US grown because of more coverage? Im asking genuinely.

soccer. being shoved down our throat non-stop. And now the popularity has grown. So much so someone tried to have them switch the communal tv at Red Robin from the NBA playoff game I was watching to some dreary who cares soccer game. Fortunately I had time precedence and quashed it.




But in a related note...I love golf. I enjoy playing, I like thinking about it, in the right circumstances I like practicing. I read about it. But I never watch it. The broadcasts are boring and suck.

"Now here on hole 12, nameless player is going to putt. Over to 15 where big name player is putting. On to 4 where someone is teeing off."

You don't follow a round and as such there is no story. Even watching a game many think is boring to watch, baseball (and probably soccer that I just lambasted...) you can follow a story. The first time up the hitter struggled with the low inside pitch. Will the pitcher test that or, thinking he is looking down and in give him something belt high and outside? Hitter drills the pitch. Pitcher probably gone by round 3 of the matchup, how does the new pitcher fare? is the team struggling to get on base? if so, do they try to manufacture opportunities?

I can follow a story instead of "here is Trout hitting a home run. Over here is Cano swinging at a third strike. Here is Kershaw getting a striking out looking K. Here is Puig doing something bizarre". Baseball would be unwatchable in those circumstances. Gold is worse than the whiparound coverage and red zone package.


Obviously. I am not all viewers as many people love those. But for growing the game, you need stories, not highlights. In a vacuum, Woods winning a major sucks. He is taking the opportunity to develop new, young stars that will be around for years. But the story of "dude has smoking hot wife, cheats, gets caught, gets injured, career derailed, gets life together and wins years after people wrote him off" did not occur in a vacuum. His shots were shown in one though I would guess?

 

[JB]

How do you grow the game of Golf?

soccer. being shoved down our throat non-stop. And now the popularity has grown. So much so someone tried to have them switch the communal tv at Red Robin from the NBA playoff game I was watching to some dreary who cares soccer game. Fortunately I had time precedence and quashed it.




But in a related note...I love golf. I enjoy playing, I like thinking about it, in the right circumstances I like practicing. I read about it. But I never watch it. The broadcasts are boring and suck.

"Now here on hole 12, nameless player is going to putt. Over to 15 where big name player is putting. On to 4 where someone is teeing off."

You don't follow a round and as such there is no story. Even watching a game many think is boring to watch, baseball (and probably soccer that I just lambasted...) you can follow a story. The first time up the hitter struggled with the low inside pitch. Will the pitcher test that or, thinking he is looking down and in give him something belt high and outside? Hitter drills the pitch. Pitcher probably gone by round 3 of the matchup, how does the new pitcher fare? is the team struggling to get on base? if so, do they try to manufacture opportunities?

I can follow a story instead of "here is Trout hitting a home run. Over here is Cano swinging at a third strike. Here is Kershaw getting a striking out looking K. Here is Puig doing something bizarre". Baseball would be unwatchable in those circumstances. Gold is worse than the whiparound coverage and red zone package.


Obviously. I am not all viewers as many people love those. But for growing the game, you need stories, not highlights. In a vacuum, Woods winning a major sucks. He is taking the opportunity to develop new, young stars that will be around for years. But the story of "dude has smoking hot wife, cheats, gets caught, gets injured, career derailed, gets life together and wins years after people wrote him off" did not occur in a vacuum. His shots were shown in one though I would guess?

I was speaking to female sports. As the reference from the LPGA. Tennis slowed despite more female coverage. Basketball with the WNBA didn’t grow. Soccer maybe, after us women, but not much. I don’t think more LPGA brings a larger viewership, especially the current LPGA leaderboards.

 

[PatsFan]

I think that it will ebb and flow but there is going to be a shift in the next 10 years and getting this next Generation Engaged will be key. and They have a lot of Distractions competing for their attention I think places like TopGolf can bring them in. It makes it fun and something you can do on a Date or with buddies. I wish I could remember where I read the article about making it easier for beginners just to keep those who will find it too frustrating. I know We are talking about golf but you have to get people playing any way you can and making it more fun for beginners and I am ONLY talking about Beginners but in reality they are they future players and look at how the Casinos made Bingo Cool again to get the under 30 crowd on the weekends.


If I ever hit the Lottery I want to open one of these TopGolf up in Framingham/Natick in Mass. Dreams I know but I think it would work.


I go to the Sim golf and there's always young guys there but a few play there more than on the course.