Why Golf Is Declining In The U.S.... and How To Fix It! (Part II)
In Part I of this series I talked about an article in Golf Week showing the decline in the number of rounds of golf in 2011. It marked the 5th consecutive year rounds of golf have declined in the United States, a streak everyone is anxious to put an end to.
It's easy for me to sit here and point out the flaws in the system but as someone who wants to see the game grow, I think we need change. These suggestions won't be popular with everyone but my goal is to create a discussion and action so we can get the game of golf back on track.
(A picture of the group in front of me waiting to tee off. That means I was waiting too.)
The five five points in my previous article were: Pace of Play, Intimidation, Price, Time and Experience. The goal is to combat these, and other issues, to help develop growth for our great game.
How To Improve and Grow Golf
I think it starts from the beginning, every golfer should have a handicap. Having a handicap shows a commitment to the rules and etiquette of the game. The majority of clubs, even those online, provide a newsletter, tips, and rules advice for golfers which will help new golfers feel less intimidated when they tee it up. The first time you golf isn't easy, it's scary. The perception non-golfers have is that we all are good at golf. We're not. We love the game, follow the etiquette and have fun, that's what golf is all about. It would be up to the golf courses to check handicaps or maybe you would need to write down your GHIN when you check-in for your round. Regardless, I think people should have it from the beginning.
Pace of Play and Price are two of the hottest topics. A solution for both of these is to eliminate golf carts. You heard me, get rid of golf carts. I believe golf carts slow the round down, they don't speed them up, ESPECIALLY when it's cart path only. I know golf courses are looking for the extra $15 but it's ridiculous. I truly do not believe golf carts speed up the game, I think they do the opposite. In my opinion, golfers are likely to take two whacks off the tee if they have a cart to go pick up one of the balls. They sit in the cart and wait for their partner to hit before going to their own ball to hit. This all takes time. I'm not being heartless, if there is someone who needs the cart, they should obviously be allowed to take it but for the most part, walking will save time and money.
At. St. Andrews in Scotland, the birthplace of golf, it's required you have a handicap. To play the Old Course, men need a handicap below 24 and ladies below 36. Golfers are likely to return if their first couple of rounds are enjoyable. Bringing a new golfer out to a course with a 145 slope is setting them up for failure. Part of it on the individual (new golfer) but the other part is on his friends who are already golfers. If you're taking someone new out on the golf course, find a nine hole or executive course and show them the game. People come back because of the good shots they hit, not because it took five hours and they lost 17 recycled golf balls.
The weekends at public courses are often backed up from early morning through the middle of the afternoon. My final two suggestions aim to help bring in new golfers to the course and keep low handicap golfers happy. Reserve the earliest tee times for lower handicap golfers. I don't know what the cutoff is but let's say 12 index and under. A set number of tee times are designated for this group so they can play their golf from the back tees with minimal waiting. At a certain time, reduce price by a few dollars and open it up to the masses and remove the back tees. This helps save new golfers money and prevents them from being intimidated because they won't be paired with a 6 handicap. It prevents the low handicap from being held up by the high handicap. If a higher handicap chooses to play later in the day he can but he knows what he's getting into. I regularly play in the afternoon to avoid the morning chaos and the course is often empty.
I love golf the way it is and fundamentally don't think it needs much change. Simple commitments by the USGA, golf courses and golfers would make the game better for everyone. At first there would be a backlash, there often is with change but in the end the game would grow and ultimately, that's what we are looking for.
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