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What is golf's biggest threat/challenge in the next 10 years?

IceyShanks

IceyShanks

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It's been something we've discussed previously, but let's fire that discussion back up, think 10 years from now, what is the biggest threat/challenge golf as a sport will face???
 
Same as now, growing the game. It is a different time with all the technology that kids use, they don't like to play in the mud like we did growing up.
 
Too many damn rules when most people just want to have fun
 
itsOpeningDay said:
Too many damn rules when most people just want to have fun
Click to expand...

No reason to follow them all if you don't want to. If fun is all you're after, just go have fun. That's the beauty of the game.
 
itsOpeningDay said:
Too many damn rules when most people just want to have fun
Click to expand...

I've always wondered about that one, example, my son is starting to get into tennis, as I'm researching/learning to help him along, I realized there's way more to tennis than I thought.

I would think a lot of people feel that way about golf, especially when they look at the rule book and all the decisions, etc. WAY TOO COMPLICATED!!!
 
Real estate making unprofitable courses be sold off for condos.

Topgolf-style ranges will be the only way out
 
Being out priced to play a good course on a weekend. Prices are high to play on a weekend as it is. I have a lot of friends who won’t play until twilight hours and on average to not so great courses due to pricing.


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aklawitter said:
Real estate making unprofitable courses be sold off for condos.

Topgolf-style ranges will be the only way out
Click to expand...
That's one of my huge worries for the reduction in golf courses, even my home course is getting pressure to sell the land.
 
Gimmes.
 
Water. Over here on the West Coast and eventually everywhere courses better start getting very smart about where they get their water and should look at possibly grey water or something of that nature. Going to make an expensive game even more expensive if people want green grass under their feet.
 
My home course has tennis as well, my son, who likes golf, is finally starting to start tennis, I keep wondering if there are other sports, that close to golf in proximity, that may take some market/time share away.
 
Video games and virtual reality. Many under the age of 30 don’t have the attention span for golf.
 
Shorts on Tour.... obvi..





:laugh:
 
mancest said:
Water. Over here on the West Coast and eventually everywhere courses better start getting very smart about where they get their water and should look at possibly grey water or something of that nature. Going to make an expensive game even more expensive if people want green grass under their feet.
Click to expand...
There is already a water fight in our county. The golf course and water district do not get along. The course is using recycled water but even this is getting heated. They don't get any water from the water district during the rain season. There is always contention between them.

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Here in the Sf Bay Area lack of newcomers to the game has caused more than a dozen courses to close within the past two years.
If the PGA Tour, USGA, NCGA and other large golf organizations do not start subsidizing instruction programs I think so many courses will close that the game will eventually cease to exist.
 
Same thing it's always been; lots of time and lots of money required to play, when people have less and less disposable income.
 
Biggest threat is an aging golf population that is not being replaced by younger players. There are countless reasons for this from time to cost to exposure.

20 years from now the big threat will be AI and automation taking jobs and therefore the money needed for golf. But that is a different topic.
 
I agree with many of the responses in here, particularly regarding the cost. With this being a very expensive sport many young adults don't have much disposable income if they are working, paying a car note, student loan, etc. I know I didn't, or at least didn't prioritize well where I could've saved for clubs and lessons. As with anything getting kids started at a younger age is key to harness interest and potential.


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I think it’s going to be difficult to keep young golfers between 12-22 engaged in the sport. Kids are so into their social media platforms and instant gratification that keeping their interest for 4 hour rounds playing a difficult game is going to be hard.
 
images
 
Despite the typical, money or youth problems. Water and environmental conditions are going to start playing a big part I think.

Trying to find a way to use a property for multiple purposes so funding can come from different sources is a talk people are going to need to start having. For instance utilizing rural courses in some areas for wildlife conservation purposes etc and how to efficiently collect rainwater and gray water for reuse on a course. I'm sure some of this is already taken into account for course design now, just think some more of the box is going to have to get peeled away to keep things in budget in the next 10 years.
 
I see a theme of younger generations lacking the attention span to play golf.

What about baseball/football?

Team sports also take several hours.

And high school golf is generally 9 holes, no?(I may well be wrong about that)

So it would seem that initial introduction to the game is more like 2 hrs vs 4 hrs or so.

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