If you can't play the full 18, maybe you should stay on the couch |
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The number of people participating in golf is down and there are numbers to back up that claim. According to a joint-study by the National Golf Foundation and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association the total number of people who play golf has declined or remained flat each year since 2000, dropping to about 26 million from 30 million. While I don’t have the figures in front of me, I would imagine the number of people exercising in general, watching less television and going outdoors for strictly recreational purposes has also declined. And I must say, these facts don’t surprise me coming from our current society that now enjoys texting as opposed to actually using a cell phone for its designed purpose, the online pursuit of significant others rather than a real-life meeting and mimicking the action of a golf shot on a Nintendo Wii rather than doing the real thing. If some independent entity were watching and giving us a grade on participation, not many of us would make the Dean’s List. Stuart Lindsay of Pellucid Corporation, a golf industry and insight provider wrote: “We’re all doing more, shorter-duration activities.” Lindsay refers to these as “time-certain” activities as opposed to the “time indulgent” recreational activity, which is golf. I am bothered by the seemingly negative connotation surrounding “time indulgent”. We could all use to spend a little free time doing some sort of physical activity. It’s not just the number of infrequent, once-a-year golfers that is drying up. The game is losing its’ foundation. According to the same study previously mentioned, the number of people who play 25 times a year or more fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000, a loss of about a third. Those who golf at least eight or more times per year, the group considered the core of the industry, has also declined but at a less accelerated pace: to 15 million in 2006 from 17.7 million in 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation. Sure there are plenty of possible reasons but also a slew of solutions to solve the problems. The economy and more importantly a lot of personal economies are experiencing a down turn. We can only hope that as history points out, this trend is cyclical and will eventually correct itself. Among amateurs on public courses, slow play is being blamed in part for a general decline (or at least stagnation) in the number of rounds. And what will we do with our Blackberry not by our side? How will we text? How will we get our news?
Lower costs and offer coupons and family rates. Play from the white tees instead of the blues; contrary to Nike’s killer ad campaign, you are not Tiger Woods. Turn your phone on vibrate or better yet forget about it for an afternoon. If you need more stimulating conversation, choose a more interesting foursome. Golf is a supreme test of patience and poise. It sometimes requires raw power but also takes a delicate touch. It is a cerebral game, a battle of attrition, which pushes us to focus and try to be our best. If you don’t enjoy that type of challenge then maybe you should stay home. Golf was designed to be played over 18 holes. The PGA TOUR recently caused quite a stir by trimming and changing its’ cut policy to accommodate TV schedules. It drew the ire of players and was eventually amended. But the PGA hasn’t instituted a time limit or cut back the final round to nine holes. The NFL has made adjustments with replay to cut into the length of games. Baseball has always battled criticisms about its time-consuming nature. Never have they considered dropping quarters entirely. Baseball hasn’t considered a time limit or cutting out an inning or two. So why mess with the integrity of golf as if it were a meaningless tradition for us to dissect and reassemble as we please? There are problems limiting participation and those need to be addressed. However, the thought of reshaping the game to last six or nine holes and abolishing the 18 hole norm in unsettling. I agree, there are occasions where nine holes is the only option but the basic structure of the game shouldn’t be questioned. The game of golf deserves 18 holes. So set aside an afternoon. Participate in life. Give golf a chance.
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