Is Golf really on the decline?

Is Golf really on the decline?

I think the more accurate statement would be that there is an over-saturation of golf courses (especially those that have a community built around them as a selling point). I don’t think it has anything to do with a decline in golf (if anything I think the game is on the rise in terms of new players).

Similar thing happened to golf retailers (ex. Golfsmith), where they expanded too much and too quickly and paid the ultimate price.


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Is Golf really on the decline?

Not sure I know the answer but I'm fairly certain to never do it again.

We owned a condo at Legends in Myrtle Beach for 12 years. Loved the experience, so many happy family memories along great personal golf recollections. So I don't regret the purchase as a whole, but I/we sure did financially.

Location and timing are everything, of course. We happened to close the very day before 9/11.

We bought with the express intent to list our place in the rental rotation program, and it was made contractually so. Because we bought the model-home complete with furnishings, they offered us $1k per month for the first year for the opportunity to show the unit when we were not scheduled for a visit. Also, no rentals for that first year, just the monthly agreement.

Good thing considering the timing. Of course, following the events of 9/11, our investment was the very last thing on our minds. But time would dictate reality, once the 1st year came to a close, we only averaged maybe $200-300/month in rentals due to a crippled vacation market residual to the atrocity. Affording it wasn't an issue, we wouldn't have bought had we not been able to comfortably afford both of our properties sans any rental income.

The rental market recovered incrementally but never to previous 9/11 levels. Owner/neighbors had told us that they'd previously averaged $1,200-$1,300/month pre-9/11. In 2013, our son would be off to college out of state. Same for our daughter in 2015. Two out of state tuitions and two mortgages was unpalatable.

We sold at a $42k loss. Forty-two-thousand. Ouch, yeah that hurt. I'd very likely buy near a golf community with ample golf nearby, affordable private or semi-private memberships available, just one not so dependent upon the grounds' facilities. But I'd be incredibly gun shy to pull the trigger on another one within.

Its on the decline. Most younger people nowdays are too busy working and taking care of their families to find time to play golf. Thats what you get when you force people to work harder and harder for less and less money.

Is Golf really on the decline?

Badger_Golfer said:

Its on the decline. Most younger people nowdays are too busy working and taking care of their families to find time to play golf. Thats what you get when you force people to work harder and harder for less and less money.

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Real median household income in the United States has gone up every year since 2016, and now is the highest it has ever been.

If Golf is truly in decline in the United States like you state, a decline in average income isn’t the reason.


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Tiger's back. It'll pick up.

JDax said:

Real median household income in the United States has gone up every year since 2016, and now is the highest it has ever been.

If Golf is truly in decline in the United States like you state, a decline in average income isn’t the reason.


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Not to argue a different subject, but the median income may be increasing. However, the gap of higher versus lower is also increasing and the income increasing is not keeping up with the economy pricing increase. With my businesses, I deal a lot with all sides of income. Those that are on government assistance and those that make more money then can be spent. The side that has less disposable income (the true measure of wealth) has been increasing rapidly.


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JDax said:

Real median household income in the United States has gone up every year since 2016, and now is the highest it has ever been.

If Golf is truly in decline in the United States like you state, a decline in average income isn’t the reason.


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Higher median income doesn't mean as much to golf if it means working more hours and carrying more debt. Luxury expenses are just that, and golf is certainly a luxury expense. It requires more money than you need to pay your bills and loans, and more time than you need to work to make the money to pay your bills and loans, laying aside other obligations of time.

fflmaster said:

Not to argue a different subject, but the median income may be increasing. However, the gap of higher versus lower is also increasing and the income increasing is not keeping up with the economy pricing increase. With my businesses, I deal a lot with all sides of income. Those that are on government assistance and those that make more money then can be spent. The side that has less disposable income (the true measure of wealth) has been increasing rapidly.


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Notice I didn’t say that Golf was growing because of the economy either...
My point was that Median Home Income is at a historic high (even inflation adjusted), therefore any decline in Golf can’t be tied to a decrease in income...

Golf was more popular when median income was lower than it is now...


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My wife and I bought a home in a golf and racquet club community last year. We are both in our mid 30's. The golf course is a 9 hole Par 3 course. The neighboring golf community, Masonboro CC at the Cape, shut down in October for good after Hurricane Florence. The course had been in financial problems since a pricey renovation and poor management. We looked at several houses in that community. Also, Echo Farms lost their golf course in February 2018. Population growth, home prices, and abundant golf an hour away in Myrtle Beach is killing golf in Wilmington.

Paladin said:

Higher median income doesn't mean as much to golf if it means working more hours and carrying more debt. Luxury expenses are just that, and golf is certainly a luxury expense. It requires more money than you need to pay your bills and loans, and more time than you need to work to make the money to pay your bills and loans, laying aside other obligations of time.

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Measuring median Debt to Income ratio with Golf participation would be an interesting chart to see...


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I used to think the main reason for the alleged decline in golf was "time & money" (duh). But lately I'm thinking more and more that it's more time than money, at least locally. So many people are working 10+ hours a day and even more people have Saturday as a regular work day now.

Again, I'm speaking locally. Our housing market is absolutely insane and people/families are needing to work way more hours to pay these million dollar mortgages. I've got friends that could easily afford to golf but they just don't have a spare 5 hours at any point during their week.

Golf lives.

I have a slightly different perspective than some. Let me explain.

I say golf is on the rise!

Why? Well in Vegas it's pretty hard to get a tee time at any public courses. They seem to always be full, however we have a large retirement population and the weather is pretty good year round. We've gone over to the Shriners Open at TPC Summerlin to watch the pros the last few years and attendance seems to be up each time. Heck this year Bryson and Rickie (amongst others were there.) It was packed!

We have one local course (The Badlands) that was a private community course that closed up shop last year. Greedy developers shut it down to build more houses where fairways once ran. The course was private and seemed to simply be an amenity for the residents...versus a true golf interested community that cared for it's course. But outside that, in my scope, golf seems to be gaining steam.

Conversely, I do see more of today's youth doing other activities than golf...but who knows. When I was a teenager on the course with my dad...I don't recall any other kids either. My son's school golf team seems about as big (and as good) as we once were on my HS team back in the 80s.

Buster1 said:

I have a slightly different perspective than some. Let me explain.

I say golf is on the rise!

Why? Well in Vegas it's pretty hard to get a tee time at any public courses. They seem to always be full, however we have a large retirement population and the weather is pretty good year round. We've gone over to the Shriners Open at TPC Summerlin to watch the pros the last few years and attendance seems to be up each time. Heck this year Bryson and Rickie (amongst others were there.) It was packed!

We have one local course (The Badlands) that was a private community course that closed up shop last year. Greedy developers shut it down to build more houses where fairways once ran. The course was private and seemed to simply be an amenity for the residents...versus a true golf interested community that cared for it's course. But outside that, in my scope, golf seems to be gaining steam.

Conversely, I do see more of today's youth doing other activities than golf...but who knows. When I was a teenager on the course with my dad...I don't recall any other kids either. My son's school golf team seems about as big (and as good) as we once were on my HS team back in the 80s.

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Las Vegas is a unique market including locals, seniors, and tourists, all interested in playing golf, but relatively few courses available to serve them.

fflmaster said:

I am not so sure this is a correction versus a straight decline that golf doesn’t need to worry.

I look at American Tennis for an example. I believe many thought similar that Tennis was just in a need of unsustainable growth after Agassi, McEnroe, and Sampras retired. Yet, we see some of the best tennis being played now then ever before and the interest continues to wane.

I think a couple problems golf has right now, are first, they don’t have that Star like Tiger with whom younger people will gravitate towards. I remember playing Tiger Woods golf on Sega when in HS and then it was crazy popular in College. Lots of younger golfers went into the game thinking about being the next Tiger Woods. Two, golf has become so expensive that the business itself makes it difficult for younger or less-affluent people get into the sport. Yes, you can buy discounted or used equipment, but go to a golf course for less then 65. At least, in my area you don’t have many courses playable within the means of younger. When you don’t include the younger crowd then you are only banking on those finding the sport later in life. Well, that might not be the best course of action in the future of these younger generations.


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part of the tennis decline might be that, while the players may be better...the style of tennis sucks. For the casual viewer, watching two guys stand on the baseline banging balls is boring as ^&$%^&*. Even for me, a tennis enthusiast...I seldom watch because it is either the Ace-fest or the baseline boredom. Equipment has more or less eliminated the serve and volley, a (to my eye) much more aesthetically pleasing style. I have no desire to see nothing but aces and baseline volleys so I just...do other things.