VERY ROUGH DRAFT. CURRENTLY A BUNCH OF RANDOM TOPICS. HAVE ADDITIONAL TOPICS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PUT DOWN. GOAL FOR NEXT DRAFT IS TO FIND COHERENT THEME(S) AND REORGANIZE BASED ON THOSE.
STEREOTYPE OF GOLFERS
The stereotypical golfer in most people’s minds is probably an old, white male.
However, while many golfers do fit this description, there are also many who do not.
According to survey data found on Statista,
approximately 13.12 percent of golfers
in the U.S. are between ages 18 and 29, 19.99 percent are between 30 and 49, and only
8.28 percent are between 50 and 64. The survey was conducted in November and December,
2017, as well as April and May, 2018, and it had over 20,000 responses. The question
asked was, “What sports do you regularly participate in?” and these results include
those who chose golf as a sport they participate in. This evidence suggests that
the majority of golfers in America are actually younger than 50 years old,
contrary to the aforementioned stereotype. Additionally, according to the 2016 U.S.
Golf Economy Report conducted by the National Golf Foundation, approximately a
quarter of all American golfers are women, and approximately one fifth of American
golfers are non-Caucasian. Considering that about 76.6 percent of the U.S.
population is white as of July 2017,
the racial demographics of golfers roughly
mirror the racial demographics of the U.S. population, at least in terms of
the Caucasian versus non-Caucasian contrast. Thus, even though the stereotype
of golf’s demographics may be half-true in that the majority of golfers are
white, the reality is that the golfing population is much more diverse than
many people may think.
LESS GOLFERS THAN BEFORE
According to a 2017 report by the National Golf Foundation , the number of
participants at golf facilities has declined from 25.7 million to 23.8 million
from 2011 to 2016. While this difference might not seem that bad, there is more
to the story than these numbers. For starters, this survey is not comprehensive.
Someone could have claimed to be a golfer, but if they rarely go out to play golf,
hen they are not going to contribute much to golf economically. [Discuss more
statistics here.]
PROBLEMS THE GAME FACES TODAY
There are many reasons why golf is on the decline. Pete Cowen, who runs a golf
academy in England and has worked with professional golfers including Sergio
Garcia and Henrik Stenson, says this: “Golf is in danger, but the solutions are
clear: We must be more family-orientated, and cheaper. I don’t think there is
any doubt at all that golf is nowhere as inclusive as it needs to be.” Here, he
addresses the issue that golf is too exclusive for many due to a variety of
factors such as cost. The cost to play a round of golf, typically referred to
as “green fees,” can vary depending on the course and general location. For
example, a round at Torrey Pines Golf Course—a course based in San Diego,
California and one of the highest-regarded public courses in the United
States—costs $122 at the time this paper was written, whereas a round at
Stone Creek Golf Club, a course based in Oregon City, Oregon, can cost less
than $30.
Green fees may or may not include the cost to use a golf cart, which could easily increase the cost by a considerable amount, depending on the course. However, there are more costs associated with golf, including the costs for clubs, shoes, balls, and apparel, which could easily cost upwards of a thousand dollars in total assuming one buys the latest equipment. For many, these costs simply make playing golf unaffordable and unjustified when they could easily find alternatives for their leisure time. [What about driving ranges?]
GOLF TAKES TIME
Another factor is the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf; one
round of eighteen holes can easily take upwards of four hours, depending on
pace of play and the length of the course, and many simply cannot afford to
spend this much time. However, this does not apply to driving ranges, where
people can spend however much time they want. It is an issue solely with
respect to playing a round of golf on a course.
HOLDING ONTO TRADITION
Cowen also points to the traditions that the game of golf holds onto, such as the
tendency of courses to require players to wear golf shoes: “We need to do whatever
it takes. Let the kids wear trainers, let them play computer games in the clubhouse.
Most kids don’t even have shoes, let alone golf shoes. It’s ridiculous.” This can
be an obstacle for many who want to play golf but do not have golf shoes because
golf shoes cost money, oftentimes upwards of one hundred dollars. This is perhaps
an example of how holding onto tradition can result in self-inflicting wounds
that limit golf’s growth: considering that it is perfectly viable to play golf
in sneakers, requiring golfers to wear golf shoes does not make sense—at least
at public golf courses— and only narrows the game’s audience. At private country
clubs which have members, this may not be as much of a problem since the clubs
are self-selecting and often include wealthy individuals who can afford the
various costs associated with golf.
TOPGOLF
Topgolf proves that there is more to golf than the traditional game characterized
by wealthy, old, white people wearing fancy clothes that many imagine when they
think of golf. Topgolf is a restaurant and driving range business which has locations
all across the United States as well as the United Kingdom. It offers a unique
experience in which one can hit balls into a driving range while ordering and
enjoying food and relaxing on a couch.
Topgolf has been a very successful business, making an estimated 300 million dollars in revenue in 2016 and quickly expanding, continually adding more locations such as one coming to San Jose. Topgolf defies the stereotype of golf by offering an experience that caters to a younger audience and has a stronger resemblance to going to a bowling alley than playing golf; instead of having to anxiously comply to a dress code, one can go to a Topgolf facility with some friends, order some beer, and have a good time hitting golf balls without any of the worries that come with a traditional golf course. Topgolf does an excellent job removing some of the obstacles that often make it difficult for those interested in golf to actually participate in the game, and its success illustrates that there is still a large market for golf despite its supposed decline. Golf courses should make similar efforts, though not necessarily as pronounced, to cater to a larger audience and attract more people to play golf, even at the cost of their pride and desires to hold onto traditional aspects of the game.
RULES CHANGES
Another potential issue separate from the social aspects of golf is the
difficulty of the game itself, which the United States Golf Association
(USGA) has recently attempted to address with new rules changes. When people
watch professional golfers on television, they may think that the game is
easy. However, this is an illusion; the professionals simply make the game
look easy. In reality, golf is not easy; in fact, it is extremely difficult.
After all, how could hitting a tiny ball with metal sticks into a hole in
the grass four hundred yards away be considered easy? People soon realize
this when they go out and play golf for the first time. But the current
rules laid forth by the USGA may in fact facilitate and compound the game’s
difficulty. For example, Rule 17-3 states that one’s ball cannot strike “The
lagstick in the hold, unattended, when the stroke has been made on the putting
green.” This forces players to remove the stick every time they putt on the
green, which takes additional time and effort and potentially slows pace
of play. Additionally, this rule does not allow for a player to use the
flagstick as a backstop for a downhill putt, which could be beneficial in
certain situations. Currently, if a player violates this rule, then that
player incurs a two stroke penalty. The USGA decided, however, to make
significant revisions to the rules which will take effect in 2019, including
a change to this rule which will now allow players to keep the flagstick
in the hole at all times if they desire. These changes were motivated
by hopes to improve the game, and the USGA should continue to actively
seek out ways to make the game more enjoyable and appealing to both
beginners and enthusiasts.
REASONS TO KEEP GOLF ALIVE
There are many reasons why there ought to be efforts to promote the game of golf, especially toward younger audiences. Firstly, golf is a multi-billion dollar industry, and its decline is probably not good for the economy. Additionally, golf is a fun pastime that many millions enjoy. Also, it can be played well into one’s later years. It can also build up character and teach important life skills and lessons. For example, due to a lack of referees, players have to “ref” themselves, and this build up integrity, assuming the player does not cheat. Golf also forces one to practice their decision-making and problem-solving abilities. This can come in the form of club and shot selection, reading greens (analyzing the slopes and contours of the putting surface to plan one’s putt accordingly), and overall strategy. Golf also teaches emotional self-control. After having played golf for over ten years, I can confirm that it can be extremely frustrating at times, especially because there is no one else to blame for my poor performance but myself. Getting angry usually only makes things worse, and over the years I have had to develop the mental toughness to prevent one mistake from leading to a series of additional mistakes. (Of course, I am not always successful at this.) Playing golf allows one to meet many new people, both at the driving range and on the golf course. I personally have met many people through golf, both casual weekend golfers as well as avid enthusiasts, by being in the same group as them during recreational rounds at nearby courses and competitive tournaments. Finally, golf can be a great form of exercise assuming one is not riding a golf cart. Golf offers various potential health benefits, such as improved heart health, increased brain stimulation, weight loss, and reduced stress. Additionally, compared to other sports, golf offers less risk of injury because it is by nature a low-impact sport. Golf also offers a nice way to get outdoors and to appreciate nature.
RELIANCE ON TIGER WOODS
The game of golf currently relies on Tiger Woods far too much. There have been efforts to find his successor as golf’s superstar, but they have been largely unsuccessful. The release of EA’s video game Rory McIlroy PGA Tour in 2015 marked a transition from the Tiger Woods era, replacing Woods as EA’s golf cover athlete for the first time. Many view Rory McIlroy as one of the game’s young stars. Others include Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas. However, none of them have been able to dominate the game in the same way that Tiger did in his prime. In the 2018 PGA Tour season, Tiger returned after recovering from various surgeries, and he played well, even winning the Tour Championship—his first victory since 2013. The broadcast for this victory “earned a 5.21 overnight rating, making it the highest-rated telecast in the history of the FedExCup Playoffs and the highest-rated PGA Tour telecast in 2018 (excluding majors). The rating was up 206 percent over 2017's Tour Championship” (Golf Channel). However, even ignoring the television ratings, all one had to do was to observe the scene to understand that this moment was special.
The sea of people behind him as he walked to the green to claim his victory—there may never be anything else like it in the game of golf. There is simply no way that any other player could make something like that happen. But this is exactly the problem. Tiger Woods’ return has been fantastic for the game of golf. However, he will only be around for so long. What will happen when he is gone for good? The fact that the game has seen a resurgence due to his return indicates that the game still relies heavily on him for publicity. This means the other professional players simply do not attract the same level of viewership that he does. Fans do not get nearly as excited to watch anyone other than Tiger Woods, and there may never be another Tiger Woods. The game may decline further once he retires. The golf world needs to capitalize on his return to spur growth for the game while it still can.