Oh, how golf has changed over the past 10 years. Back in 2008 any businessperson who played golf, or mentioned they were going to go play golf, was looked at as if they had the plague. Golfers, especially business golfers, were scapegoats for the economic crash. Back then Golf was deemed to be a ‘frivolous activity‘.
Fast forward to 2018 and few things have changed with how golfers are looked at by the business world. The pundits of the golf industry described this the current era of golf as “The Adjustment Years” golf needed to make to survive. But, are the adjustments being made in the golf industry to help Golf or help those who were demanding to continue to make million’s off those who still play golf?
The Problems of Golf
Before the bottom fell out of the golf industry many Golf Professionals were working towards addressing the issues Golf was experiencing. The professionals who managed Golf found there were three things happening in golf that were driving golfers away.
Golf was:
- Too expensive,
- Too slow to play
- And taking too long to learn to play.
Golf being very expensive was not a new problem. However, from 1995 to 2007 everything related to golf went up in price. By 2008, the price of playing golf was way beyond the means of the millions of golfers who lost their jobs.
Golf being too slow was another old issue inherent to golf that after the downturn in the economy was amplified as a major issue why golfers were leaving the game. The remaining golfers now had to work 80 hour weeks to pay their bills and had no time watching someone in the fairway in front of them fishing for their golf ball in the lake.
Golf’s steep learning curve has always been there, but for the new generation, who were brought up having shorter attention spans, the ability to learn the game of golf was not as easy it was on the video games they were raised on.
Why Golf Got So Expensive
The cost to play golf was an easy issue to break down. Green Fees skyrocketed to produce the profit margins needed to cover for high-interest rate loans and high upkeep costs for the water parks and fire pits nearly every golf club had installed to attract the younger generation.
Club manufacturers invested millions into new technology need to figure out how an eighteen handicapper could hit a 300+ yd drive like Tiger Woods. The cost of this investment was transferred to the consumer.
Golf apparel industry saw an opportunity in making every tour pro who could get in front of a TV camera one of their fashion models. Dressing like your favorite touring pro was not going to be cheap.
Anything to do with Golf back then tripled in price nearly overnight. By 2010, the hay day of golf was coming to an end.
Happy Gilmore Golf
Golf by 2012 was a tuff sell. Even charity golf events struggled to get enough golfers to play in their annual events. Sponsors for the Professional Golf tours were pulling out, not because they were not getting the exposure to their products, but were seen as supporters of a frivolous activity associated with the elite 1%ers.
In order for golf events to attract golfers, they have to set the golf outing up to be more of a carnival than a test of skill. The non-golf games and slow pace of play drive the better golfers away.
Golf Skills Testing
One of the more interesting aspects of golf that the golf professionals were looking into was to have all golfers take a Golf Skills Test. This test would allow golf courses to better manage the players by knowing what set of tees they should be playing from. Low handicaps can use all tees, mid-handicappers can only use the middle to forward tees and the high handicapper are restricted to using the forward tees. To be able to use all tees you have to be able to pass a skills test.
Today’s golfer is really not as interested in golf as much as they are holding up to a standard of living that does not match the standard of life of a golf club. This probably goes back to younger golfers not given proper parental guidance.
Today, you can walk on any golf course…or just drive by one…and you will see golfers wearing old worn out blue jeans being worn …shirttails out and some even wearing a tank top. They feel this appropriate golf attire and as long as they can pay a green fee the golf courses are not going to turn them away.
Where will golf go without some discipline? Nobody can tell, but one thing is certain…there will be fewer golfers playing a lot less to play less than 9 holes of golf. This is not what I want. Let me know how I can help.
