What Grows the Game?

Well here's the thing. You mentioned basketball.

How much does it cost to play basketball? Only one kid has to have a basketball - cost $25. Shoes $125. Shorts and tank top = $40. There are 4 basketball courts in my housing development. They're in use pretty constantly in nice weather. There are schools nearby with outdoor basketball courts. You can start playing basketball at a young age and it doesn't cost that much. You can practice and play for free. Or if your parents are members of a gym you probably have a membership too, so you get to play there in a league for $10. Then there's High School basket ball. If you're good you can play there in JV and Varsity. If not, there are intramural leagues. Rec leagues. So it's cheap to play basketball. Poor kids can learn how to play.

Golf? There's the cost of golf clubs. Your kid will probably go through three sets by the time they're 15. There's golf lessons with a professional - it's a good idea not to teach your own kid no matter how good you are - it can get pretty dysfunctional. There's driving range costs - buckets of balls add up. There's transportation to the chip and putt at first, then to the Par 3 course, then to the big course. There's the cost to play a round of golf. This means probably playing with you. This means $35 for you and $25 for your kid + food and beverages. Bottom line is that learning how to play golf is expensive and probably not done by your average middle class family that's juggling day care for one child, and struggling on two incomes these days.

Going to college costs more now than it used to cost. My college education cost $10,000 back in 1970 for four years and that includes living expenses. What is it today? $8200 per year + living expenses.

Golf is going to be way down on the list for average middle class families. Single people who want to take up the game will have to do so on their own. You'll have a game to maybe get your kids interested in, but beware the costs. You'll probably be lucky to have a hobby that gets you out of the house once in a while. And any new kids who take up the game will come from upper middle class or wealthy families with country club memberships.
 
I'd have to disagree with the video game theory. Firstly someone not interested in golf would not even consider playing a golf video games. Secondly, I don't believe any of the other sports video games detracts from someone actually playing the sport.

I can get behind the video game portion, because it would be a much smaller population than total youth. But I will say that golf is the most challenging to be average at than any of baseball, basketball, football, or soccer (using these as the most popular sports). I would think that is directly related to the fact that each is a team sport, where a niche can be identified for multiple skill levels where all can participate on the same field. This is all purely speculation on my perspective, as I have never participated in golf in a team environment outside of outings (baseball and golf with both spring sports growing up).
 
This is a great topic and I've enjoyed reading the posts so far.
 
I guess it depends where you live , golf is booming here, my club has a wait list to join

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That place is awesome and I can see why
 
Well here's the thing. You mentioned basketball.

How much does it cost to play basketball? Only one kid has to have a basketball - cost $25. Shoes $125. Shorts and tank top = $40. There are 4 basketball courts in my housing development. They're in use pretty constantly in nice weather. There are schools nearby with outdoor basketball courts. You can start playing basketball at a young age and it doesn't cost that much. You can practice and play for free. Or if your parents are members of a gym you probably have a membership too, so you get to play there in a league for $10. Then there's High School basket ball. If you're good you can play there in JV and Varsity. If not, there are intramural leagues. Rec leagues. So it's cheap to play basketball. Poor kids can learn how to play.

Golf? There's the cost of golf clubs. Your kid will probably go through three sets by the time they're 15. There's golf lessons with a professional - it's a good idea not to teach your own kid no matter how good you are - it can get pretty dysfunctional. There's driving range costs - buckets of balls add up. There's transportation to the chip and putt at first, then to the Par 3 course, then to the big course. There's the cost to play a round of golf. This means probably playing with you. This means $35 for you and $25 for your kid + food and beverages. Bottom line is that learning how to play golf is expensive and probably not done by your average middle class family that's juggling day care for one child, and struggling on two incomes these days.

Going to college costs more now than it used to cost. My college education cost $10,000 back in 1970 for four years and that includes living expenses. What is it today? $8200 per year + living expenses.

Golf is going to be way down on the list for average middle class families. Single people who want to take up the game will have to do so on their own. You'll have a game to maybe get your kids interested in, but beware the costs. You'll probably be lucky to have a hobby that gets you out of the house once in a while. And any new kids who take up the game will come from upper middle class or wealthy families with country club memberships.

Hence why I tried to create the conversation outside of the $$ perspective, but its probably where this conversation directly relies. There is absolutely no doubt that golf requires a greater monetary investment than basketball/futbol. I could make a decent argument that baseball and football could come closer in investment, but that would even be skewed on getting fantastic equipment for those two sports and marginal equipment in golf.

On college, when I attended MSU out of state starting in 2003 was about $20,000/year without living expenses. Yes, I am still paying those loans lol.
 
That place is awesome and I can see why
You should come up and play in the member guest with me :)

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This is an interesting topic. I write this as a 30, soon to be 31 year old. I think $$ is up there and can't be overstated but I want to take a different route. This post is meant to discuss the movement of getting more youth into the game, not adults.

There's no denying that today's youth are very tech oriented(social media et al), and I think attention spans have also greatly reduced. If a kid can hook up to a game console and hit a 300 yard drive right down the pipe, stick a wedge from 90, and sink a birdie, what motivates them to try and do it in real life? They've already identified they can do it. It's a generation of instant feedback and answers available at the click of a link. How does that fit into golf? I think golf is extremely frustrating and uninteresting to a lot of youth. It's a game that takes a ton of time, money, and practice to hit basic shots that allow you to perform average. Golf is a sport that takes time to develop, completely opposite of what inundates kids of today who can access what they want, when they want it, and then find something else when those things don't meet their needs. While most sports are in a similar mold, they are practicing and being motivated by their friends in groups of 5, 10, 30, 60 kids in a team environment. As the husband of a 6th grade teaching wife, they constantly have to modify their curriculum to keep students interested. Golf is completely singular most of the time, and that takes a ton of mental dedication to continue pushing yourself when no one's there to push you along.

That being said, how does it get fixed? If I had that answer I would probably be out implementing the solution rather than typing my thoughts on a message board. Parents who are currently golfers will obviously teach their kids the way of the game, and perhaps a friend or two along the way. I'm not sure how to corral the masses and teach them the same. Perhaps it will never be a mainstream event the way football and basketball have taken hold. It's probably dependent on past generations pass along appropriately. As someone who picked up basketball, baseball, and football with relative ease, golf has been one of the most difficult and rewarding opportunities i've had a chance to become interested in. And it started from my grandfather and father.


One of the interesting things about our generation (I'm 35 for reference) is that we are unique. Many of us grew up watching the internet explode. So to our generation, that instant gratification is relatively new, or something slightly different. Our kids are growing up and it's just a part of life for them. My daughter is not amazed by her iPad. She's had one, in or around her as long as she can remember. No different than TV, or video games were for our generation. Like our generation there is a wide variety of, for lack of a better word, response to these devices. Some kids live and die by their devices, some couldn't care less, some don't like them. My daughter is pretty attached to her iPad about 30 minutes a day, first thing in the morning she wants her iPad while she eats breakfast and gets dressed. After that it's used at school, and for homework, and occasionally for entertainment, but on the weekend she wants to do a variety of things, not just play on her iPad. I think there is hope for this generation, that they will learn to love things they have to put effort into.

That being said, I agree about needing kids to grow the game. These are the kids that will grow up seeing their swings on the trackman, and adapting to the tech, probably more quickly than our generation. Yes, some of them will only want to play "golf" on their devices, but many of them will use their iPads to adjust their swings, and track their data, and for them it will just be part of the game. Organizations like Girlsgolf.org, and The First Tee will do a lot to help grow the sport. Much more than Rory in Yoga pants will. As parents, and grandparents we can help by having fun with the kids, helping them make good memories, that just happen to be on the golf course.

I think, if we as parents want to grow the game, the best thing we can do is take our kids to an instructor of some sort and go wait in the car. So many times I've seen frustrated parents "teaching" their annoyed kids how to play golf poorly. We have to remember that first and foremost it's supposed to be fun, if it's not fun, you're doing something wrong. If the kids aren't having fun, they're not going to learn to love the game.
 
This is an interesting topic. I write this as a 30, soon to be 31 year old. I think $$ is up there and can't be overstated but I want to take a different route. This post is meant to discuss the movement of getting more youth into the game, not adults.

There's no denying that today's youth are very tech oriented(social media et al), and I think attention spans have also greatly reduced. If a kid can hook up to a game console and hit a 300 yard drive right down the pipe, stick a wedge from 90, and sink a birdie, what motivates them to try and do it in real life? They've already identified they can do it. It's a generation of instant feedback and answers available at the click of a link. How does that fit into golf? I think golf is extremely frustrating and uninteresting to a lot of youth. It's a game that takes a ton of time, money, and practice to hit basic shots that allow you to perform average. Golf is a sport that takes time to develop, completely opposite of what inundates kids of today who can access what they want, when they want it, and then find something else when those things don't meet their needs. While most sports are in a similar mold, they are practicing and being motivated by their friends in groups of 5, 10, 30, 60 kids in a team environment. As the husband of a 6th grade teaching wife, they constantly have to modify their curriculum to keep students interested. Golf is completely singular most of the time, and that takes a ton of mental dedication to continue pushing yourself when no one's there to push you along.

That being said, how does it get fixed? If I had that answer I would probably be out implementing the solution rather than typing my thoughts on a message board. Parents who are currently golfers will obviously teach their kids the way of the game, and perhaps a friend or two along the way. I'm not sure how to corral the masses and teach them the same. Perhaps it will never be a mainstream event the way football and basketball have taken hold. It's probably dependent on past generations pass along appropriately. As someone who picked up basketball, baseball, and football with relative ease, golf has been one of the most difficult and rewarding opportunities i've had a chance to become interested in. And it started from my grandfather and father.

Nice post here imo. Changes in society as a whole do happen. general interests and recreation choices change with it. Societies interests are always evolving. Whether its due to technology, economy, or whatever any other reasons it is what it is. And about 20 years ago it began to evolve (regardless of the reasons) into a place that was very heavily favorable for golf. And then (as always) it eventually evolved again but in a slightly different direction which is no longer as favorable towards golf as it was.
 
I can get behind the video game portion, because it would be a much smaller population than total youth. But I will say that golf is the most challenging to be average at than any of baseball, basketball, football, or soccer (using these as the most popular sports). I would think that is directly related to the fact that each is a team sport, where a niche can be identified for multiple skill levels where all can participate on the same field. This is all purely speculation on my perspective, as I have never participated in golf in a team environment outside of outings (baseball and golf with both spring sports growing up).
Played tennis in high school which was same season in golf. Feel they are similar as the demographics are close. Went to a fairly well off school district so no issues filling teams but you could just tell who had access to lessons practice time ect. My matches were pretty lop sided against some of the schools not as well off and I wan't even very good compared to guys playing lots of tournaments out of school. Was a good doubles player and we had matches where we wouldn't even give up a point or 2 in a single set. I imagine that doesn't make the other kids want to even play. Probably the same in golf hard to field a team when you are shooting 95 and one of the better players at a lesser school then show up and other schools have every player shooting sub 80. Not sure what the solution to that problem is though.
 
Well here's the thing. You mentioned basketball.

How much does it cost to play basketball? Only one kid has to have a basketball - cost $25. Shoes $125. Shorts and tank top = $40. There are 4 basketball courts in my housing development. They're in use pretty constantly in nice weather. There are schools nearby with outdoor basketball courts. You can start playing basketball at a young age and it doesn't cost that much. You can practice and play for free. Or if your parents are members of a gym you probably have a membership too, so you get to play there in a league for $10. Then there's High School basket ball. If you're good you can play there in JV and Varsity. If not, there are intramural leagues. Rec leagues. So it's cheap to play basketball. Poor kids can learn how to play.

Golf? There's the cost of golf clubs. Your kid will probably go through three sets by the time they're 15. There's golf lessons with a professional - it's a good idea not to teach your own kid no matter how good you are - it can get pretty dysfunctional. There's driving range costs - buckets of balls add up. There's transportation to the chip and putt at first, then to the Par 3 course, then to the big course. There's the cost to play a round of golf. This means probably playing with you. This means $35 for you and $25 for your kid + food and beverages. Bottom line is that learning how to play golf is expensive and probably not done by your average middle class family that's juggling day care for one child, and struggling on two incomes these days.

Going to college costs more now than it used to cost. My college education cost $10,000 back in 1970 for four years and that includes living expenses. What is it today? $8200 per year + living expenses.

Golf is going to be way down on the list for average middle class families. Single people who want to take up the game will have to do so on their own. You'll have a game to maybe get your kids interested in, but beware the costs. You'll probably be lucky to have a hobby that gets you out of the house once in a while. And any new kids who take up the game will come from upper middle class or wealthy families with country club memberships.

Cost is a HUGE factor in golf. It's daunting at first. It certainly feels like it's insanely expensive, and it really can be. There are organizations out there that are doing their best to help grow the game to kids without the benefits of wealthy (or at least well employed) parents. I think growing the game, especially as it relates to getting kids involved will require a concentrated effort by Golf Clubs, Driving Ranges, manufacturers, and everyone else to ensure that parents can get their kids setup and playing for a decent price. Courses are out there showing that it can be done. Goat Hill Park is a prime example, relaxed dress code, $10 for kids to play 18 holes. That's doable, not as cheap as other sports, but doable.

As for college, college is NOT the end all be all it used to be. Many people are learning that going to a trade school is much less expensive, and pays as nearly as well, or as well as many 4 year degrees. Better if you consider the number of people out there with 4 year degrees working at Walgreens and WalMart.

I'll argue that golf as a sport can be grown, but it will not be done by traditional means, the industry as a whole has to make the investment in the younger generations to get them interested, and understand that the payback will come later. That is a hard pill for stockholders to swallow, however.
 
I like the shorter course or 12-13 hole options to shorten the time on the course ... while not always popular on a golf forum, I think recreational rules, that allow for anchored putting and who knows what the golf industry to could produce in terms of non-conforming clubs ... look what softball has done for the baseball industry as an example.

Just thinking outside the box ...
 
Played tennis in high school which was same season in golf. Feel they are similar as the demographics are close. Went to a fairly well off school district so no issues filling teams but you could just tell who had access to lessons practice time ect. My matches were pretty lop sided against some of the schools not as well off and I wan't even very good compared to guys playing lots of tournaments out of school. Was a good doubles player and we had matches where we wouldn't even give up a point or 2 in a single set. I imagine that doesn't make the other kids want to even play. Probably the same in golf hard to field a team when you are shooting 95 and one of the better players at a lesser school then show up and other schools have every player shooting sub 80. Not sure what the solution to that problem is though.

I think no matter how you want to slice it, it's a wealthy game. It requires equipment and lessons that aren't as accessible or available as the big 4 team sports. Although with the huge influx of traveling teams associated with soccer, baseball, and basketball, that investment gap might be closing.
 
When it comes down to comparing the effort of golf to market the game versus the NFL or NBA, well, there's no real comparison. How do you market an athlete who doesn't wear a jersey? You'd look kind of goofy on the course with "Spieth" emblazoned across the back of your collared shirt. There's no "posterizing" an opponent, no crushing hit on a wide receiver, and in a sport where a fist pump is considered the extreme of celebration, there's not going,to be a whole lot of interest from kids who want to do the "Superman" thing after scoring.

edit: I also think that today's youth have been immersed in such hypermasculinity as the expected norm, that a game that doesn't allow you to lord a win over your opponent, well, seems kind of soft. And a "soft" game, to a kid who looks up to a macho guy like an NBA player or NFL player, is not going to attract them.
 
I think it is price, price of everything. The more expensive it is to buy clubs, play rounds, get clothes the less people can afford or have access to it. Get a price point across the board in those areas and the game can grow and more people will become addicted, and THP grows even larger.

The cost of clubs us only as expensive as someone chooses to make it. Buying used and a year or two old will get some good technology at a very reasonable price. Clothes could be so what of an issue because if dress code but again can be has cheap thru services like short par 4, Marshall's(others like it), ebay. The cost of golf depending in the area can be a huge downside. Finding a decent course for less than $60 in DC area is hard and the 9 hole courses make a better option sometimes. Now in buffalo that $60 gets some really good courses but income is usually lower.
 
When it comes down to comparing the effort of golf to market the game versus the NFL or NBA, well, there's no real comparison. How do you market an athlete who doesn't wear a jersey? You'd look kind of goofy on the course with "Spieth" emblazoned across the back of your collared shirt. There's no "posterizing" an opponent, no crushing hit on a wide receiver, and in a sport where a fist pump is considered the extreme of celebration, there's not going,to be a whole lot of interest from kids who want to do the "Superman" thing after scoring.

This is a great point. The sport is not as flashy or boisterous as others, and does not get as much promotion. It is based on integrity, respect, and solitude (outside of the par 3 at waste management). Hell, even the clap is identified as a quiet beat.
 
I think no matter how you want to slice it, it's a wealthy game. It requires equipment and lessons that aren't as accessible or available as the big 4 team sports. Although with the huge influx of traveling teams associated with soccer, baseball, and basketball, that investment gap might be closing.
Traveling baseball for my son costs a lot more than golf

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One of the interesting things about our generation (I'm 35 for reference) is that we are unique. Many of us grew up watching the internet explode. So to our generation, that instant gratification is relatively new, or something slightly different. Our kids are growing up and it's just a part of life for them. My daughter is not amazed by her iPad. She's had one, in or around her as long as she can remember. No different than TV, or video games were for our generation. Like our generation there is a wide variety of, for lack of a better word, response to these devices. Some kids live and die by their devices, some couldn't care less, some don't like them. My daughter is pretty attached to her iPad about 30 minutes a day, first thing in the morning she wants her iPad while she eats breakfast and gets dressed. After that it's used at school, and for homework, and occasionally for entertainment, but on the weekend she wants to do a variety of things, not just play on her iPad. I think there is hope for this generation, that they will learn to love things they have to put effort into.

That being said, I agree about needing kids to grow the game. These are the kids that will grow up seeing their swings on the trackman, and adapting to the tech, probably more quickly than our generation. Yes, some of them will only want to play "golf" on their devices, but many of them will use their iPads to adjust their swings, and track their data, and for them it will just be part of the game. Organizations like Girlsgolf.org, and The First Tee will do a lot to help grow the sport. Much more than Rory in Yoga pants will. As parents, and grandparents we can help by having fun with the kids, helping them make good memories, that just happen to be on the golf course.

I think, if we as parents want to grow the game, the best thing we can do is take our kids to an instructor of some sort and go wait in the car. So many times I've seen frustrated parents "teaching" their annoyed kids how to play golf poorly. We have to remember that first and foremost it's supposed to be fun, if it's not fun, you're doing something wrong. If the kids aren't having fun, they're not going to learn to love the game.

for your first paragraph....just to add to the gist of it. When I first took my kids to Disney World around 2006 my kids were 10 and 7. My first time in Disney was in 1974 when I was ten. The strangest thing to me was that my kids didn't quite have the same appreciation of all the rides that I had when I was ten. The affect the rides like "pirates of the Caribbean" or "its a small world" and several others had on me and my memories of it was just not the same for my kids. I recall that time when I was ten and how awe inspiring and amazing those old fantasy type experience rides were and what they meant to me. I still recall the feeling to this day 41 years later. But to my kids who grew up in the computer age and all that it offers them, the whole thing just made it so what they were seeing while on "my old fantasy rides" was not quite the great deal it was for me in the 70's Or at least not having the same overwhelming lasting affect it all had on me at their same age when I took them. The interests and choices of what sparks the mind are now very different as we evolve.

As for kids golfing? Greeeeat! but very many can not afford to do this. heck, many have trouble finding disposable income for themselves being the only one in a family who plays. If my wife and my kids played golf there is no way I would have ever afforded that. Lessons, greens fees, clubs, balls, and all the other associated expenses. Just not something easily done for so very many people. I always wish my wife would golf and also join me sometimes but then to be honest if she did then I wouldn't be able to golf but only about half the minimal amount I already do now. Not even to mention if my kids did it. Fugeddaboudit! I mean I would want that for sure , but heck I couldn't afford it if they wanted it.
 
I like the shorter course or 12-13 hole options to shorten the time on the course ... while not always popular on a golf forum, I think recreational rules, that allow for anchored putting and who knows what the golf industry to could produce in terms of non-conforming clubs ... look what softball has done for the baseball industry as an example.

Just thinking outside the box ...

But here is the beauty about golf.....you see....one can play however and with whatever they want and for as long as they want. As long as your not playing official competitive golf and running an official handicap, who is going to care. No one will care nor force anyone to do anything. You want to use an anchor? goahead.......you want to alter rules? go ahead.....you want to play 12 holes? then go ahead and leave after 12 or 9 or 14 or whatever. Unless one is involved to any official capacity one can do whatever he/she wishes and no one will care nor question it. Just have all the fun you want the way you want to have it and for how long you want. Its really that simple.
 
But here is the beauty about golf.....you see....one can play however and with whatever they want and for as long as they want. As long as your not playing official competitive golf and running an official handicap, who is going to care. No one will care nor force anyone to do anything. You want to use an anchor? goahead.......you want to alter rules? go ahead.....you want to play 12 holes? then go ahead and leave after 12 or 9 or 14 or whatever. Unless one is involved to any official capacity one can do whatever he/she wishes and no one will care nor question it. Just have all the fun you want the way you want to have it and for how long you want. Its really that simple.

Only caveat is if courses offer 12 hole rates, will that spark a greater interest? I doubt many will pay an 18 hole rate to play 12.
 
This is a great point. The sport is not as flashy or boisterous as others, and does not get as much promotion. It is based on integrity, respect, and solitude (outside of the par 3 at waste management). Hell, even the clap is identified as a quiet beat.
And don't forget that utter alien thought: you snitch on yourself when you break a rule. No Corked bats, no steroid suspensions! No PED suspensions! No lying to win. No cheating to win. Formulae that are so out of step with most sports that they are not even in the same parade.
 
for your first paragraph....just to add to the gist of it. When I first took my kids to Disney World around 2006 my kids were 10 and 7. My first time in Disney was in 1974 when I was ten. The strangest thing to me was that my kids didn't quite have the same appreciation of all the rides that I had when I was ten. The affect the rides like "pirates of the Caribbean" or "its a small world" and several others had on me and my memories of it was just not the same for my kids. I recall that time when I was ten and how awe inspiring and amazing those old fantasy type experience rides were and what they meant to me. I still recall the feeling to this day 41 years later. But to my kids who grew up in the computer age and all that it offers them, the whole thing just made it so what they were seeing while on "my old fantasy rides" was not quite the great deal it was for me in the 70's Or at least not having the same overwhelming lasting affect it all had on me at their same age when I took them. The interests and choices of what sparks the mind are now very different as we evolve.

As for kids golfing? Greeeeat! but very many can not afford to do this. heck, many have trouble finding disposable income for themselves being the only one in a family who plays. If my wife and my kids played golf there is no way I would have ever afforded that. Lessons, greens fees, clubs, balls, and all the other associated expenses. Just not something easily done for so very many people. I always wish my wife would golf and also join me sometimes but then to be honest if she did then I wouldn't be able to golf but only about half the minimal amount I already do now. Not even to mention if my kids did it. Fugeddaboudit! I mean I would want that for sure , but heck I couldn't afford it if they wanted it.

You're not wrong. It's not a cheap hobby. I play clubs that are 10 years old mostly because I can't spring the scratch to play new ones. There are ways to make it more reasonable. My daughter's clubs came from Play it again sports, and that's where they'll go back too when she's too tall for them (in a few months I'd bet) the club I belong to has a very reasonable rate. I pay $95/month for my family membership. Which is the only reason my daughter gets to play really. I know in a lot of areas that membership rate is unheard of, and that was the point in my other post, the industry as a whole needs to recognize the value of getting more people to play. I pay much less than $1 a ball buying recycled balls online. How many people know that's an option when they walk into Dick's Sporting Goods? DSG is certainly not going to tell them that. The industry needs to make new golfers aware of the cheaper options. I know of some courses that work with programs like The First Tee to encourage hand-me-down clubs, and offer good trade-in value on kids clubs. Until the industry as a whole recognizes that people would play golf, or get their kids into the sport if it was more affordable, it's going to be tough getting new kids playing, and new adults for that matter. That is where we as "ambassadors for Golf" come in, showing people how they can get involved without spending a ton of money on gear.
 
Only caveat is if courses offer 12 hole rates, will that spark a greater interest? I doubt many will pay an 18 hole rate to play 12.

Thinking about this....I question how much a difference it would really make anyway. Greens fees are so very different everywhere anyway. One person pays 25 while another 50 yet another 75 and another 100. And these differences are even at municipalities. I mean the person paying 75 would still be paying more to play a discounted 12 hole rate than the person paying 25 for entire 18 does. So cost is only relative. I believe a large percentage of places do offer early morn or late day 9 hole rates. In fact many late day discounts are 9 hole rate but you can play whatever you fit in before dark.

I just don't think it really matters too much for growing the game. If one truly loved to play golf and was only able to find time to play 12 or so holes, that person will pay to either play 9 if its an option or will pay to play 18 and leave after 12 or whenever he has to.

I can see perhaps at a course that struggles for customers to then perhaps offer 6,9,12, 18 hole rates or even pay per hole rate. The thought process from the business side imo would be that a half loaf of bread is better than none. But at courses that don't have much an issue getting customers this would never happen. Its sort of the old supply and demand scenario. But growing the game via doing things this way? I don't know if I really see that as something to have any major result. Perhaps offering cheaper 6 hole rates during the week and non prime times I suppose may add some people to the game. But not many people can golf in "non prime time" to begin with anyway. Hence why its not a prime time.
 
Personally, I don't think "growing" the game of golf is an issue. There have been ebbs and flows to number of golfers playing, courses built, etc., corresponding to the rise and fall of it's popular stars (Snead, Hogan, Palmer, Jack, Tiger ...) and the economy.
- Cost has ALWAYS been a factor in golf participation and probably always will be.
- It's not a game for everyone as it requires a substantial commitment of time, money and effort so why try to market or promote it as such?
- dumbing down golf does nothing to help the game

We need golfing parents and grandparents to promote the game from within. If you have kids or grand kids who show an interest, take the time to take them to putt, chip, hit the range, ride in the cart while you play, caddie for you or whatever it is that would be FUN for them and help fan that spark.
We also need golf courses to step up and offer major discounts for kids - kids play free with an adult days/times, super discounts for range passes, kids prices for lessons, better membership discounts for family play, etc. Have cheap kids summer golfing programs that focus on fun, not creating high school/college/tour players. Instead of sucking every possible dollar out of the golfing community to maximize their profits, courses need to invest in their future players.

This obviously goes against all the hubbub we see about the state of golf ... it's just the way I see it.
 
Personally, I don't think "growing" the game of golf is an issue. There have been ebbs and flows to number of golfers playing, courses built, etc., corresponding to the rise and fall of it's popular stars (Snead, Hogan, Palmer, Jack, Tiger ...) and the economy.
- Cost has ALWAYS been a factor in golf participation and probably always will be.
- It's not a game for everyone as it requires a substantial commitment of time, money and effort so why try to market or promote it as such?
- dumbing down golf does nothing to help the game

We need golfing parents and grandparents to promote the game from within. If you have kids or grand kids who show an interest, take the time to take them to putt, chip, hit the range, ride in the cart while you play, caddie for you or whatever it is that would be FUN for them and help fan that spark.
We also need golf courses to step up and offer major discounts for kids - kids play free with an adult days/times, super discounts for range passes, kids prices for lessons, better membership discounts for family play, etc. Have cheap kids summer golfing programs that focus on fun, not creating high school/college/tour players. Instead of sucking every possible dollar out of the golfing community to maximize their profits, courses need to invest in their future players.

This obviously goes against all the hubbub we see about the state of golf ... it's just the way I see it.

I think you're right. Golf needs to be available for kids. Decent prices, easily accessible gear, and most of all it has to be fun!


Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
 
I stopped playing because of the time it took to get through a round on a weekend. Hard to justify when you are a parent.
 
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