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Making Golf Bigger & Better... How would you do it?

Continue to work with children at a young age to get them involved in the game, they grow up playing, maybe parents pick it up, etc

Not sure how past ratings have been, but it seems like the Ryder Cup has had success viewing wise, I think I recall when the US folded up in the last Ryder Cup the event was viewed in like 5% of all households in the US which is pretty solid for golf Im guessing, so maybe more events similar to it (however that may be).

Oh and you need Tiger Woods to play well, he moves the needle...fact
 
Howzat said:
I like the idea of more match play. I would also like to see more team competition. Not sure how to make it work exactly but team match play is just fun to watch IMO.
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My exact thoughts - love Match play and the intensity when a major tourney ends with a match between players. As for team competition, we are heading in the right direction by adding golf to the Olympics :)

DevRickus said:
I think golf is seen as a "rich man's sport". I dont know how but somehow that needs to be changed. It needs to be seen as a sport that anyone can play.
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Agreed....it will be tough to get away from it being considered a "rich man's sport" unfortunately - if you think about it, besides skiing and motorports, it has to be the most expensive sport to play....and it takes 4+ hrs to play in a standard foursome....plus at least 40-50 bucks to walk....
 
One-T said:
i dont see how you do this though. it takes money to groom a golf course. and I dont want to play the courses that arent groomed. I dont need a CC. But I like a good golf course. Land is land, I dont know how you make it more accessible. And on the other side of it, there are a lot of people you dont want on a golf course. There is a 9 hole track here that is a GOAT track for sure. The fwy is yard grass. The people who play there wear tank tops. I dont play there. Hell, I dont consider it. The owner of my company owns it and I can play for $5 for 9 holes but I REFUSE!
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It's a fine line. People that want to get interested in the game aren't going to shell out the fees that some of us are willing to shell out to play a game of golf. You aren't going to grow the game and bring in a new wave of interest with 5+ hour rounds costing $50+ or whatever to play. Golf has an identity crisis, and I really don't know how you grow the game without putting more clubs in peoples hands, whether it be on the Goat Tracks I grew up playing, or the finely manicured fairways that some others get to play.
 
Four things need to happen to get more fans into the "stands".

1. Make players play every tournament. Not every year mind you, but gone are the days of players battling at courses that were not perfect for their game. The money is too rich now, and guys pick and choose far more carefully. Make the rule that a guy has to play every stop on tour once every "so many" years. More fans come to see guys that move the needle, but sadly many stops will never get that chance.

2. Make the courses that host these tournaments more accessible. Im not talking about Pebble Beach accessible where you can play there, but most would never spend the money. Im talking about accessible. People tend to watch, what they understand. Even hardcore fans tune out certain events for lack of a field, but had they played it before, it changes things. If a course wont be more accessible, find one that is.

3. Speed up play on tour. So let me see if I get this straight. Every other sport has tried to speed up the game because families do not have 3+ hours to sit and watch their favorite team compete, but golf is okay letting the final round be 5+ hours. Absurd. Its time for a shot clock for every single shot. It would be rough for the 1st 3 months, and then guys get into the groove of the speed.

4. Simplify the rules. People are not following them anyway. Get rid of some of the absurd, make them better explained and easier to understand and people will come.

All this talk of startup costs, means little. People find a way to pay for things that they want to do. The comparison to hockey is also not even close. The costs to get setup in football is not cheap either at the junior level with the costs of shoes, pads, etc, but it is still the most viewed sport in this country. People are not watching hockey in the US, because they dont care about the sport that allowed ties for too long, is filled with players with names with less vowels than their own and far too many labor disagreements.

Golf is a different animal. Just as tennis, you have to convince the fan that what they are doing, you can do too, but just not as well (see basketball). Convince the fan that it is entertaining to watch the game. However sadly, spending the day in the sun walking around hoping to get a quick glimpse of a guy take a swing, or wait for hours on a green hoping to see a few guys putt is just not fun for millions of people. It is a very hard sport for a casual fan to watch live, because the pace around it and not enough going on.
 
ShanksaloT said:
Agreed....it will be tough to get away from it being considered a "rich man's sport" unfortunately - if you think about it, besides skiing and motorports, it has to be the most expensive sport to play....and it takes 4+ hrs to play in a standard foursome....plus at least 40-50 bucks to walk....
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$40-$50 to walk is only here in stupid NJ buddy. Much cheaper in other parts of the country.
 
JB said:
Four things need to happen to get more fans into the "stands".

1. Make players play every tournament. Not every year mind you, but gone are the days of players battling at courses that were not perfect for their game. The money is too rich now, and guys pick and choose far more carefully. Make the rule that a guy has to play every stop on tour once every "so many" years. More fans come to see guys that move the needle, but sadly many stops will never get that chance.

2. Make the courses that host these tournaments more accessible. Im not talking about Pebble Beach accessible where you can play there, but most would never spend the money. Im talking about accessible. People tend to watch, what they understand. Even hardcore fans tune out certain events for lack of a field, but had they played it before, it changes things. If a course wont be more accessible, find one that is.

3. Speed up play on tour. So let me see if I get this straight. Every other sport has tried to speed up the game because families do not have 3+ hours to sit and watch their favorite team compete, but golf is okay letting the final round be 5+ hours. Absurd. Its time for a shot clock for every single shot. It would be rough for the 1st 3 months, and then guys get into the groove of the speed.

4. Simplify the rules. People are not following them anyway. Get rid of some of the absurd, make them better explained and easier to understand and people will come.

All this talk of startup costs, means little. People find a way to pay for things that they want to do. The comparison to hockey is also not even close. The costs to get setup in football is not cheap either at the junior level with the costs of shoes, pads, etc, but it is still the most viewed sport in this country. People are not watching hockey in the US, because they dont care about the sport that allowed ties for too long, is filled with players with names with less vowels than their own and far too many labor disagreements.

Golf is a different animal. Just as tennis, you have to convince the fan that what they are doing, you can do too, but just not as well (see basketball). Convince the fan that it is entertaining to watch the game. However sadly, spending the day in the sun walking around hoping to get a quick glimpse of a guy take a swing, or wait for hours on a green hoping to see a few guys putt is just not fun for millions of people. It is a very hard sport for a casual fan to watch live, because the pace around it and not enough going on.
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We will have to agree to disagree on that one my friend. Easy $1000 to get set up, + paying for ice time is pretty much dead on similar to golf.
 
JeffReedMO said:
It's a fine line. People that want to get interested in the game aren't going to shell out the fees that some of us are willing to shell out to play a game of golf. You aren't going to grow the game and bring in a new wave of interest with 5+ hour rounds costing $50+ or whatever to play. Golf has an identity crisis, and I really don't know how you grow the game without putting more clubs in peoples hands, whether it be on the Goat Tracks I grew up playing, or the finely manicured fairways that some others get to play.
Click to expand...
I dont disagree but I think its a catch 22 here. Not everyone needs to be playing the sport. I think when you lower the costs, you get people who dont care about the values of the game and the course. people who dont understand what fixing a ball mark or replacing a divot really is. And it takes a lot of money to run a golf course. I dont think charging $25 a round covers that.
 
Not sure how, but make it more fun to watch on TV. Everybody (who doesmt play it) judges it by the boringness of watching it on tv. Making that better somehow, is the first step..
 
JB said:
Four things need to happen to get more fans into the "stands".

1. Make players play every tournament. Not every year mind you, but gone are the days of players battling at courses that were not perfect for their game. The money is too rich now, and guys pick and choose far more carefully. Make the rule that a guy has to play every stop on tour once every "so many" years. More fans come to see guys that move the needle, but sadly many stops will never get that chance.

2. Make the courses that host these tournaments more accessible. Im not talking about Pebble Beach accessible where you can play there, but most would never spend the money. Im talking about accessible. People tend to watch, what they understand. Even hardcore fans tune out certain events for lack of a field, but had they played it before, it changes things. If a course wont be more accessible, find one that is.

3. Speed up play on tour. So let me see if I get this straight. Every other sport has tried to speed up the game because families do not have 3+ hours to sit and watch their favorite team compete, but golf is okay letting the final round be 5+ hours. Absurd. Its time for a shot clock for every single shot. It would be rough for the 1st 3 months, and then guys get into the groove of the speed.

4. Simplify the rules. People are not following them anyway. Get rid of some of the absurd, make them better explained and easier to understand and people will come.

All this talk of startup costs, means little. People find a way to pay for things that they want to do. The comparison to hockey is also not even close. The costs to get setup in football is not cheap either at the junior level with the costs of shoes, pads, etc, but it is still the most viewed sport in this country. People are not watching hockey in the US, because they dont care about the sport that allowed ties for too long, is filled with players with names with less vowels than their own and far too many labor disagreements.

Golf is a different animal. Just as tennis, you have to convince the fan that what they are doing, you can do too, but just not as well (see basketball). Convince the fan that it is entertaining to watch the game. However sadly, spending the day in the sun walking around hoping to get a quick glimpse of a guy take a swing, or wait for hours on a green hoping to see a few guys putt is just not fun for millions of people. It is a very hard sport for a casual fan to watch live, because the pace around it and not enough going on.
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I agree with this so much. Hell...I never played football and I watch it religiously.
 
DevRickus said:
We will have to agree to disagree on that one my friend. Easy $1000 to get set up, + paying for ice time is pretty much dead on similar to golf.
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That is not why people are not watching hockey. Studies have been done on this time after time. If it were all about start up, ratings would not drop when a team is led by foreigners. Ratings would not drop after a strike. You are discussing why people are playing less hockey, not why people are watching less hockey. Despite what diehards believe, it is not one and the same.
 
DevRickus said:
$40-$50 to walk is only here in stupid NJ buddy. Much cheaper in other parts of the country.
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Probably most of the Northeast haha - I played last week with my dad at a local track by us - and for a resident it was 92/person!!! It was insane...
 
One-T said:
I dont disagree but I think its a catch 22 here. Not everyone needs to be playing the sport. I think when you lower the costs, you get people who dont care about the values of the game and the course. people who dont understand what fixing a ball mark or replacing a divot really is. And it takes a lot of money to run a golf course. I dont think charging $25 a round covers that.
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Totally agree with what you are saying in regards to "drive by golfers" that go out and hack it up, drive the carts on or near the greens, disrespect the course, rules, etc. I guess I am speaking more in regards to getting youth more involved in the game at an earlier age. More First Tee programs, summer leagues like we have for baseball and basketball and bringing them up to respect the game and be good ambassadors for it. It all takes money somewhere and I am just not sure how you go about it.
 
JeffReedMO said:
Totally agree with what you are saying in regards to "drive by golfers" that go out and hack it up, drive the carts on or near the greens, disrespect the course, rules, etc. I guess I am speaking more in regards to getting youth more involved in the game at an earlier age. More First Tee programs, summer leagues like we have for baseball and basketball and bringing them up to respect the game and be good ambassadors for it. It all takes money somewhere and I am just not sure how you go about it.
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I think that kids should be able to play for free as long as they are accompanied by a paying adult.
 
The players HAVE TO BECOME more fan friendly!!!!!! That is the one negative I have against the Bubba's, Tiger's, Phil's, etc. They need to be signing hats/flags/programs for the kids after each round. They need to be more accessible i.e. in clinics or appearances before tournaments. I like the humor ads/commercials that the PGA tour has put out this last year, trying to show more of the fun side of the players. Problem is we want to relate to them but can't cause we don't really know 'em.
 
JB said:
That is not why people are not watching hockey. Studies have been done on this time after time. If it were all about start up, ratings would not drop when a team is led by foreigners. Ratings would not drop after a strike. You are discussing why people are playing less hockey, not why people are watching less hockey. Despite what diehards believe, it is not one and the same.
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I dont want to get this off topic but people dont watch it because it absolutely sucks on TV. Its very hard to follow especially for a casual fan. I cant tell you the amount of people I have spoken to say that watching it live is so much better than watching on TV. Golf is pretty similar as far as watching on TV. But enough about hockey, because most people really do not care.
 
JB said:
Four things need to happen to get more fans into the "stands".

1. Make players play every tournament. Not every year mind you, but gone are the days of players battling at courses that were not perfect for their game. The money is too rich now, and guys pick and choose far more carefully. Make the rule that a guy has to play every stop on tour once every "so many" years. More fans come to see guys that move the needle, but sadly many stops will never get that chance.

2. Make the courses that host these tournaments more accessible. Im not talking about Pebble Beach accessible where you can play there, but most would never spend the money. Im talking about accessible. People tend to watch, what they understand. Even hardcore fans tune out certain events for lack of a field, but had they played it before, it changes things. If a course wont be more accessible, find one that is.

3. Speed up play on tour. So let me see if I get this straight. Every other sport has tried to speed up the game because families do not have 3+ hours to sit and watch their favorite team compete, but golf is okay letting the final round be 5+ hours. Absurd. Its time for a shot clock for every single shot. It would be rough for the 1st 3 months, and then guys get into the groove of the speed.

4. Simplify the rules. People are not following them anyway. Get rid of some of the absurd, make them better explained and easier to understand and people will come.

All this talk of startup costs, means little. People find a way to pay for things that they want to do. The comparison to hockey is also not even close. The costs to get setup in football is not cheap either at the junior level with the costs of shoes, pads, etc, but it is still the most viewed sport in this country. People are not watching hockey in the US, because they dont care about the sport that allowed ties for too long, is filled with players with names with less vowels than their own and far too many labor disagreements.

Golf is a different animal. Just as tennis, you have to convince the fan that what they are doing, you can do too, but just not as well (see basketball). Convince the fan that it is entertaining to watch the game. However sadly, spending the day in the sun walking around hoping to get a quick glimpse of a guy take a swing, or wait for hours on a green hoping to see a few guys putt is just not fun for millions of people. It is a very hard sport for a casual fan to watch live, because the pace around it and not enough going on.
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Great thoughts there, JB.

I agree about the shot clock. Overton yesterday took about 7 practice swings, and finally they decided to move away from him and show some actual golf.
 
SharkHat said:
A new type of grass. A blend of Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensimilla. Play 36 on it in the afternoon, then take it home and get stoned to the bejeesus belt.
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Karl the assistant greenskeeper wants his idea back.....!
 
One-T said:
I agree with this so much. Hell...I never played football and I watch it religiously.
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You may have never played organized, or for a school or something... but almost everyone has picked up a football of some kind and found a back yard with some friends. That's what kindle's a love or at least understanding of the sport (even at a basic level). You can't do that with golf. (unless you have a really big back yard...)
 
huhhh said:
You may have never played organized, or for a school or something... but almost everyone has picked up a football of some kind and found a back yard with some friends. That's what kindle's a love or at least understanding of the sport (even at a basic level). You can't do that with golf. (unless you have a really big back yard...)
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Sure you can.
Miniature golf?
 
JeffReedMO said:
I don't think you can get more people to events without getting more people involved in playing the game. I don't know many people that watch golf, that don't play the game themselves.
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I think GolfNow has done a tremendous job of making courses more affordable which will grow the game. If I was a non golfer, like I was in high school, the only reason i would watch golf, is because my Dad had it on TV. We only had one TV so either watch it or go outside and play. Now if any other sport was on, I was glued to the TV. I think maybe making large tournaments more affordable would work. It would draw people who are on the border line into the arena. Why would someone pay a big chunk of money, to go view a competition they know little about. If prices were more reasonable, maybe more interest would pop up.
 
JB said:
Sure you can.
Miniature golf?
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Okay...unless you have a regular sized back yard...and a really big clown's head...or windmill.
 
huhhh said:
You may have never played organized, or for a school or something... but almost everyone has picked up a football of some kind and found a back yard with some friends. That's what kindle's a love or at least understanding of the sport (even at a basic level). You can't do that with golf. (unless you have a really big back yard...)
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actually, in college we went out and bought sticks and put them in a yard, we played yard golf for hours!! Betting and drinking beer. It was 4 holes of hilarious golf shots.
 
Speed up the pace of play on tour. Bring back something like Shells world of golf. Different format (match play or skins) with relevant players throw it on prime time. I think the viewer would have to invest less time and get more out of it. As far as getting more people playing I think the game is fine up here.
 
How about some pro-am tournaments where the am's are picked by random drawings so anyone would have a chance to be in one? That would be fun to watch.
 
Nate said:
The players HAVE TO BECOME more fan friendly!!!!!! That is the one negative I have against the Bubba's, Tiger's, Phil's, etc. They need to be signing hats/flags/programs for the kids after each round. They need to be more accessible i.e. in clinics or appearances before tournaments. I like the humor ads/commercials that the PGA tour has put out this last year, trying to show more of the fun side of the players. Problem is we want to relate to them but can't cause we don't really know 'em.
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This is what Golf needs!
 
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