Opinion & Analysis
Barney Adams: Calling golf “fun” is disingenuous
The pile on the sport of golf is officially underway. I’ve received at least a dozen links to different stories about troubling times in the golf industry. We all know about Nike, and I received an email today about 800 courses closing over the past few years. Rumor has it that a TaylorMade sale is forthcoming and at a deep discount to annual sales; another one says Golfsmith is headed to a bankruptcy reorganization to clean up the business prior to a sale, and the list goes on. On the golf course side, the very high-end clubs and low-end clubs are OK, but the great majority in the middle are nervous… as in very nervous.
This article, while influenced by all the negative, isn’t about that. It’s about the game and marketing it to attract new players. Not professional golf, however; that’s television entertainment, is very successful, and is a world unto itself. This is about the game we play.
I watch (and read) the golf commercials promoting the game, and the consistent message is, “Play golf, it’s fun.” I think to myself, “Who authorizes these things? Is this someone’s relative who works in an ad agency who doesn’t play the game?”
So let me propose a “white paper” from which the bright advertising folks can come up with effective campaigns.
Golf is not “fun” in the traditional sense of the word. Golf is hard; it starts hard and stays that way. Fun is ice cream, sunny days and symphonies. Golf, on the other hand, says, ”Here I am, you sap. Do you have what it takes?”
And that’s exactly why it’s such a great game. We get to play against ourselves and the course in the company of friends. I mean, I read where Top Golf is fun and a great lead-in to the game. And you know what, Top Golf is a lot of fun. I know because my grandkids and I went, and we hit balls at targets, got points, drank beer (well, I did), had a competition and a lot of laughs. I kept track; I got points for two shanks, three skulls, one near toe-whiff, and on each occasion I was trying to hit a decent shot. Point is, Top Golf isn’t quite golf, in the fact that you’re not penalized for a poor shot, but rather you earn points. In the real world, I carry a ball retriever because I’ve grooved those shanks and skulls, and at no time do I remember associating them with fun on the course. I’ve not played Foot or Frisbee Golf; I’m sure they are fun, and I’m also sure they are not golf.
A great example of my point happened recently. I’m fortunate to play fairly regularly with Frank Beard, a phenomenal player with 14 PGA Tour wins, and at 77-years-old, we’d all kill to have his game. I’m talking to him on the range the other day and he’s showing me this swing thought he’s working on. I stood there thinking, is there some way to tell this story? This is real golf — a game you can play as a kid, adult and as a senior. It’s a game that will drive you nuts, and just when you think you have the “move” down, it turns out to be a quick source of duck hooks. A game where you make friends for life as you go on course and try to beat each other’s brains out. Public, private? Golf doesn’t care. Hungover, healthy? Golf doesn’t care. Back pain, bad mood? Good mood, new vitamins? Golf just sits there and waits for you to give it your best shot. You know going in that you won’t win because regardless of your skill level, you can always improve. For those of us in the less-skilled division, it’s small victories — the shots you remember are the ones that bring you back.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great professional athletes in my club-fitting days with hand-eye coordination that I’d kill for. Some got pretty good while others quit in disgust. That’s the thing, though, golf doesn’t care if you’re an ex-jock, cop, fireman, computer designer, movie star; I’ve yet to find a profession where golf rolled over and said, “OK, for you I’ll make an exception.” Golf also has an unimpressed attitude about “could haves” — you know, the “he could have played the Tour” players that never quite made it. It’s a bit like life; nothing is handed to you, you just have to go out there and do it.
And while I’m writing about facts, someone will soon do research and learn that there are literally millions of women who could take up the game and change participation demographics for the better. That hasn’t happened to date. There are lots of reasons, or perhaps speculations, and I have my own; women are smarter than men. We will play, hit balls and take lessons, determined to overcome golf’s challenge. Women, on the other hand, seem to realize there are more fun, worthwhile things to do. And I write this acknowledging some fine women players who do not make my quest any less-frustrating.
And there is both the issue and the answer. Golf isn’t fun — at least as the word is normally used. Golf is difficult, and no matter how long you play you will still be working at it. Ball in your court Mr. Advertising person.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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Ude
Jul 6, 2017 at 1:28 am
MAGA
Stretch
Sep 28, 2016 at 10:16 pm
Fun in golf is the challenge to do better. No matter how good the score there is always better. How to be better is to take the ego out the door and close it. To be the best one can be is to be able to control the ball which is to be able to control the spin. Swing mechanics block the players ability to create the shots that lead to fun outcomes.
Sean
Sep 6, 2016 at 3:07 pm
To me it depends on how seriously you take the game. If you are out there to drink some beers with your friends and get away from the home or the office, it’s probably is fun. Some of us work hard at the game and can find moments of satisfaction, disappointment, frustration, and yes fun. But it’s a mixed bag. Is golf fun? Sometimes it is. And, sometimes it isn’t.
Art Pan
Sep 1, 2016 at 8:29 am
As one of the few who plays both ball golf, and disc golf (NOT FRISBEE golf), I will have to say that the same frustrations apply. It’s just as easy to release early, or grip lock, and in effect, duck-hook or slice your throw.
Tree bounces are far more prevalent. “It’s only a 4 inch wide trunk to the side of a 20 foot wide fairway” you think to yourself. Then you hit it, and your disc bounces 30 feet to the left into the woods. Then you’re stuck straddling a bush trying to throw around tree and praying you just make it back to the fairway. But you’ll probably just hit another tree.
I three putt less is DG, but it still happens. The ‘gimme’ distances are just different. 4 or 5 feet, you’re good. 10 foot, you make consistently if you’re good. outside 10 feet, I’ll probably 2 putt. Unless your putt misses, hits the ground on the edge of the disc, and then rolls. Behind you.
KK
Sep 17, 2016 at 5:53 pm
What the heck are you babbling about.
digitalbroccoli
Sep 20, 2016 at 9:42 am
I’ve played disc golf for thirty years, including 2 open qualifiers and I’ve never had an issue with someone calling it frisbee golf. Back it down a notch dude.
golfraven
Aug 29, 2016 at 4:41 pm
Golf is always fun if you think that at same time you could sit and look at your email inbox and answer emails. Where would you rather be? Having fun or being a slave to the men. Fun is when you wheck it over 300 yards and when you inbox is empty and you can look at vids from your last visit to the golf range.
mhendon
Aug 29, 2016 at 4:20 pm
Sorry Barney I have to disagree with you on this one. Golf is very fun to me. Maybe that’s because I’m able to play closely to the way the game was meant to be played but more importantly I try not to take it to seriously.
Steve C
Aug 29, 2016 at 4:16 pm
One last point regarding the demise of golf. Golf is hard, takes time, and today’s generation of everybody getting a trophy (right now) does not appreciate the work necessary to be successful. Add that to short attention spans due to all of todays distractions (social media, music while playing, etc) and real golf does not stand a chance.
DaveT
Aug 29, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Steve C, that was my reaction as I read the story. There’s a generational difference in attitude, and I’m not sure as many millennials have the attitude that golf — as skillfully described by Barney — requires.
Steve C
Aug 29, 2016 at 4:09 pm
My wife always gives me the business about how I get to go out and have fun playing golf. I have always told her I wasn’t having fun (as this story clearly states). Her response is “Well, then why do you go play?” It’s not possible to explain this reasoning, lack of common sense, idiocy , illogical behavior, etc. to someone that does not play the game. That all having been said, there are a few rare occasions that I have had a good time. But it was about the company, not the golf itself. Sadly, I am just as angry at the end of a round whether I shoot a 85 or a 70. I tell all my non-golfing friends to avoid the game as its not worth the frustration!
Barney Adams
Aug 29, 2016 at 5:37 pm
and my reaction is just the opposite. I tell my friends that at 77 I’m out there beating my head against the same lack of talent wall I’ve always had and I love every minute. Do I have fun Like a video game etc.. and the answer is ” Thankfully ,no” This is golf, it’s so much more.
Deadeye
Aug 29, 2016 at 2:55 pm
Hmmmmm. If golf is retreating at the rate you say, and pro golf is doing so great as tv entertainment, who, in a few years, is going to be watching those pro golfers on tv? Surely not those women who have found smarter things to do. Anybody remember when pro bowling was BIG on tv? Those guys were good too. Just saying.
Bob Jones
Aug 29, 2016 at 2:01 pm
I get to enjoy the company my friends in a beautifully landscaped environment while doing about the only athletic thing there is that I can do…and that’s not fun?
Bobtrumpet
Aug 29, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Frank Beard – a name I haven’t heard for a long time. I loved his one-page columns at the back of Golf Digest years (decades) ago. Seemed to be a straight-shooter (in golf and the written word). Glad to hear he’s still doing well.
Justin
Aug 29, 2016 at 12:52 pm
I think the main source of “NO FUN” is when you play golf and your game continues to regress. If you play your home course fairly often and shoot pretty close to the same score, that outlier where you shoot 5 strokes below your handicap becomes fun… no, wait, not fun.. it’s exhilarating. “Fun” is always what you make of it. Fun can turn sour in a heartbeat with the wrong frame of mind. Fun endures if you know how to extract it out of a situation and cultivate it. Now that I have a 1-year old daughter I have plenty of fun in my life. But getting out once a month or so to play golf with good friends has become a different type of fun. Would I like to play more like I have in the past? Who wouldn’t? Golf has transformed into an escape… not from my family or the other things I love, but from reality for those 4+ hours.
Golf is a game. That sentence could stand alone as a fair description, but it’s really so much more. The game I’ve loved since I could walk is a new chapter in many people’s lives. Stats show that more people are “giving up” the game or playing much less frequently. But to me that doesn’t mean we’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’ to hit the links. We are more consumed than ever with “having something to do” rather than making sure the substance of that thing to do is worth our time. “This will make a great picture for instagram” or “I can finally update my Facebook status because we went on vacation” have become far more important than the value of both self worth and appreciation for what others do for you.
I love golf because it’s not something you can own. And on the flip side, golf is not something that should own you either. It’s one of the few things you can do poorly and still want to come back and do again. You can be upset with golf, but never truly scorned… in the end it all falls on you the individual. Golf doesn’t need you and you don’t need golf, and that’s exactly why it’s fun.
Mr. Wedge
Aug 29, 2016 at 12:29 pm
I hate all this hoopla about making golf easier. The true golfers enjoy a challenge (within reason). And if you are more casual and want golf to be easy, there ARE options out there. I’ve been to a ton of courses that are very wide open and more player friendly. Most also have at least 3 sets of tees to choose from. So teeing it forward is an option too. Don’t have time for a full 18? Most courses have 9 hole rates, so play 9. Golf participation, IMO, is most affected by the cost. Not just for playing, but equipment too. I don’t claim to know what the fix is. But the issue certainly is not because golf is not as “fun” as playing Candyland with my toddler.
Steve
Aug 29, 2016 at 11:51 am
Golf is plenty fun under the right circumstances. Such as……when you can play in 3 and 1/2 hours. A five hour round is awful and the definition of no fun. As for the eulogy for golf that we keep reading about, you could’ve fooled me. I don’t play as often as I would like, but I have seen crowded golf courses this summer in North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia. I see a billionaire marketing a set of clubs for $ 3000 and new Drivers from the big name manufacturers in the big box stores for nearly $ 400 — with new versions right about the corner. Of course at $ 400 I won’t be making too many impulse purchases. Scotty Cameron putters are kept behind a plexiglass case so they won’t be stolen. Nice. That’s ok….I can 3-putt with something cheaper.
But what the golf industry lost sight of is this generation’s obsession with time or the lack thereof. Reconfigure golf courses to 12 holes and make twilight rates earlier and more affordable, and people will play. To me, the golden age of golf was back in the 60s when everyone played with wooden woods, irons with a sweet spot the size of a tick and balls that we wouldn’t even hit on a range now. And people loved the game, didn’t complain about it being “too hard” while they adored Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus cuz they looked right at them in the gallery. Those were the days, but give me the chance to play 9 holes with 10 or 11 clubs in a bag I can easily carry without waiting for someone plumb-bobbing a putt in front of me and the game is magic again.
The Truth
Aug 29, 2016 at 5:04 am
Women are not smarter than men. Give me a break with this P.C garbage. Women are more emotional and far less logical, they’re very easily influenced by a monkey see, monkey do culture. What sort of lifestyle is hyped up in the MSM to influence them? Oh yes, the degnerate Culrtural Marxist society that is destroying us both socially and financially. And who falls for it the most? Women of course, zero logic. If the traditional values of the West was still considered cool, more Women would be playing.
Ru Paul
Aug 29, 2016 at 8:26 am
You go girl!
Egor
Aug 30, 2016 at 11:37 am
@The Truth – many will disagree with you, but you did hit the nail on the head. You’re right.
James
Aug 28, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I think you’re wrong Mr. Adams. All sports are difficult and can be “not fun” by your definition. I’m an old baseball guy and if you get a safe hit 30% of the time you’re an amazing player. Quite difficult to hit a round ball with a round stick with a ball thrown fast and with curvature. Still, that one great hit every couple of games is what you chase and the chase if fun. Same with golf. Not every round will be great but parts of it might be. The fun is chasing that better score or hitting a few more good shots in a round. Challenge is fun too. It invigorates the mind. If everything was easy we would all get bored with it. This is why golf is fun, it is the chase and the challenge.
Smitty
Aug 28, 2016 at 3:56 pm
Sorry Barney but this was a big ol’ shank of an article. Golf is fun, but it’s not easy. Most things that are fun aren’t easy. Are marketers mis-representing themselves by saying “golf is fun”? Heck no. They get paid to promote and sell stuff and nothing about that tag line is misleading in the least. When you were selling clubs would you have told a potential new golfer that the game really isn’t fun but hey, come buy this club from me for hundreds of dollars?
I enjoy practicing and working on improving my game and putting practice into play every week on the course. Seeing a long putt drop, hitting a big drive down the fairway, or sticking a wedge close is what fires me up and keeps me coming back for more. That is why the game is fun to me, but those same things don’t define the game of golf for other folks.
A close friend of mine only gets to golf maybe once a year on his birthday because of family and work conflicts. There are a lot of shanks and lost balls that day, but it’s a blast and he’d never say otherwise.
Frankly, if I were a marketer or in advertising role in the industry I don’t think there is a single productive thing I could take away from this article. Additionally, one of your final paragraphs about women being smarter than men as the rationale for not taking up the game is utterly ridiculous. It might be time for you to hang up the poor efforts at “writing” and focus on doing some real things to help grow the game.
Dennis Clark
Aug 28, 2016 at 1:40 pm
Read Michael Murphy’s classic “Golf in the Kingdom”…
“Our relationship to paradox is a barometer of our enlightenment”
8thehardway
Aug 28, 2016 at 8:55 am
Ah, the women; exemplars of the worthwhile and conscience to us all. But before they were women they were cart girls… . Somehow they transitioned from flirting to wisdom, while we just kept golfing, Peter Pans locked in eternal battle with Captain Hook and Captain Slice. We never grew up and put aside the things of youth because golf is the opium, the green dragon that clouds our mind even as we chase him from hole to hole; $75 to $150 for a hit that lasts 4 hours and we can’t get enough.
Should we resist this sticky substance of a sport and, like the women you admire, ascend to a higher plane or should ‘advertising folks’ develop better marketing along the lines you suggest to attract more innocents to this addiction? Your proposition seems at odds with your value system.
?
Aug 28, 2016 at 11:13 am
Maybe it’s time to lay off the drugs…
KK
Aug 28, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Are all women just cart girls of various ages to you? Lame.
8thehardway
Aug 29, 2016 at 3:56 pm
I had hoped to pose a developmental dilemma between one-dimensional representations of a cultural bias which reached it’s zenith in the saccharine sitcoms of the early 1960s.
I guess that boat has sailed, but rest assured I do not regard women as grown up cart girls.
Randy
Aug 28, 2016 at 1:13 am
We made it fun, for the last two years we have played two man scrambles for lunch almost every Tuesday, the only time it is not fun is the Tuesday one of the guys cannot make it and we have to play our own ball.
Jon Hensey
Aug 27, 2016 at 8:01 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZy2I9ZJkVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGGmgTn_G0
golf is FUN
don7936
Aug 27, 2016 at 7:40 pm
Barney, what are you smoking? You made your living off of “dumb” men who bought your products?? i understand the point you’re trying to make but belittling the intelligence of 90% of your customer base is preposterous. BY logical extension, if women are too smart to play golf, only dummies will play it. Therefore men are dumb. Dude, that is the lamest thing I’ve seen on this site. Never mind the gratuitous “smart women” comment too prevalent in golf nowadays. If you’re willing to turn golf into a gender issue, publish your remarks at a site geared for women. You totally sold out.
kolfpro
Aug 29, 2016 at 3:59 am
OK now, keep your shirt on Tonto. Barney is not trying to insult you or golfers in general but it seems you are taking it that way. Remember, never take it personally even tho sometimes it is! 🙂
cwt
Aug 27, 2016 at 6:32 pm
“You know going in that you won’t win because regardless of your skill level, you can always improve.”
Which is why Mr. 58 should have walked away from the game that very day!
Jim
Aug 29, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Just one put better, and it could have been a 57…….
RI_Redneck
Aug 27, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Barney’s description of the game is very spot on IMHO. I don’t play for fun, never have. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the challenge, the comraderie, the exercise and the scenery……. but I don’t have fun. Every time I walk onto a golf course it’s to do battle. It’s always a battle between me and the course itself (and the designer, I guess), even in tournaments. I have won tournaments before and been completely disappointed with my performance because I didn’t play as well as I should have. I get the most fulfillment from playing my best on a really tough track. That’s probably the reason I seek out the courses I do when I’m traveling. I actually don’t think I got my money’s worth if I don’t feel like I’ve worked my a** off to get the score I got. Hey, maybe I’m a bit of a nut and that’s fine if you think so. But that’s just the way it is.
This game is designed to kick your butt, work you in the ground and reward you only when you try your best. That’s why I love it.
BT
Steve C
Aug 29, 2016 at 4:20 pm
Well said, Redneck. And todays generation just does not get it! Nor do they want to.
Double Mocha Man
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:53 pm
That must have been a 600 yard par 5 since you hit your drive 410 yards…
Double Mocha Man
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:48 pm
Golf is fun for the camaraderie among friends, the anticipation of that round, the fresh air, the 3 incredible “pro-like” shots you hit per round and the gin & tonic afterwards.
Double Mocha Man
Aug 27, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Actually those are nicknames for Ginger & Tonica… they’re both girls and they’re both legal.
Sometimes a Smizzle
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:32 pm
i definetely agree with Barney. I feel like golf is fun in a different kind of way. I often play alone because i like the challenge and i like being alone after being around people all week. I experience satisfaction more then fun.
Double Mocha Man
Aug 26, 2016 at 11:01 pm
I often play alone because I’m afraid Smizzle will join my threesome. 🙂
JThunder
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:17 pm
All sports are challenging and the enjoyment – for those who “get it” – is because it’s a challenge. This is why the push for 15″ holes is idiotic. You could make basketball a lot easier and – apparently – more “fun” by just having a huge waist-high barrel for the ball. I mean, why go through the effort and difficulty of throwing the ball up high to such a small target??
I’ll take issue with the mention of “symphonies” – to properly understand and appreciate the complexity of the music you’re hearing IS a challenge. This isn’t Barney or Bieber, it’s Bach and Beethoven. *Playing* orchestral music is a challenge of the highest order, and takes a lifetime of dedication and 8 hours practice a day to be professional.
The real semantic issue at hand is this; have we become so jaded and lazy that something challenging and difficult can’t be called “fun”?
If everyone is so worried about golf participation, I suggest they look long and hard at the state of the middle class; incomes, time spent at work (including emails at home), increased prices and decreased salaries and benefits, unemployment and underemployment/multiple jobs, plus social media, kids’ activities, etc. More really good 9-hole courses might help. Overcrowding at existing courses is a factor too, certainly in the Chicago area.
Nick Stec
Aug 27, 2016 at 7:25 am
THIS!!!! AWESOME.
Mat
Aug 27, 2016 at 5:41 pm
Agreed. As a former musician, I have a draw to golf that is very similar. I had a lot of fun as a musician… same ideas; camaraderie, working but never achieving perfection, and mastering a craft. I was a much better musician than I have ever been a golfer. The irony is that an activity like golf requires determination to get better, but it is a hobby that most of us put in the garage for days or weeks at a time. Those that practice every day, like music, are envied.
“Fun” might not be the single best word, but how does one describe the drive as an artist for perfection?
JThunder
Aug 27, 2016 at 6:22 pm
I guess it depends. To some people, “fun” is sitting on a beach doing nothing getting hammered. Some would have to be there surfing or playing volleyball or something. To some, it’s climbing a mountain or hiking a trail, painting a picture or whittling a sofa. It’s a certain kind of person – not necessarily “the very few” though – who enjoy accomplishment rather than idle fun. But if golf weren’t “fun”, why would anyone do it? It’s expensive, it takes time and lots of effort – I guess you can call it “enjoyment” instead of “fun”, but that nitpicks semantics. The same goes for artists – most genuinely enjoy and love what they do, and far less than 1% could claim to be “doing it for the money”.
So, maybe the disconnect is in the Tiger Factor, and companies like Nike’s expectations. YES, a lot of people “tried” golf because of Tiger, and quit because it was “too hard” or they sucked, or it was too expensive, took too much time, was too hard to Tweet while doing, whatever. It was the Tiger Bubble – and just like the Housing Bubble, the eCommerce Bubble, the occasional tennis or soccer mania, it was BOUND to subside.
I suppose it could be called “unfortunate” that the Tiger Bubble burst almost simultaneously with the economy. (Wait – what was that crash – the stock market or Tiger’s SUV window? Was that breaking Tiger’s back or the back of the middle class?) Again, anyone who expects “participation” (aka “CASH”) to be UP when the middle class are working 60 hours a week – husband and wife – and barely making ends meet. As for Nike pulling out of golf – I’m sure the cash they paid Tiger didn’t help. As for 800 courses closing – specifics of where and why? I’ve seen a few close here with owners cashing out on the land. NOT lack of golfers.
Bag Chatter
Aug 29, 2016 at 8:36 am
JT – You shouldn’t be on this site – you make way too much sense!
oldpromoe
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:12 pm
I have played golf for 56 years. Golf is fun for me. I play almost every day and always enjoy myself. Great shots still thrill me. Good shots make me happy, Poor shots don’t concern me.
I play with people I like and one that I love.
During our long Manitoba winters, I hit balls indoors at the Dome every day. I find that to be fun too.
Barney, with respect, maybe you need an attitude adjustment.
Barney
Aug 27, 2016 at 12:23 am
I generally don’t respond but I liked your comment. I’ve been playing for 65+ years and still read the articles on how to improve. I get sick of the “instant gratification ”
Type ads and am promoting a little ” truth in advertising “
Mike W
Aug 28, 2016 at 1:21 am
I’m in Winnipeg too. Send me a PM and lets go have fun!
Bernard
Aug 26, 2016 at 9:57 pm
Great article. I have always been annoyed by the way the game is sold. It is sold more like a Zumba infomercial than the challenging game that it is. The reward is in the journey to meet it’s challenges. It’s more martial arts or mountain climbing of the soul but it is not “fun”. Fun is only in the fleeting moment everything went correctly. Thank you Barney.
Wayne J Bosley
Aug 26, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Exciting and Challenging ,,, like life,,,,,
Steve
Aug 26, 2016 at 9:32 pm
Golf is better than work and as memorable as (marital) sex.
Tom Duckworth
Aug 26, 2016 at 8:55 pm
Hit a drive about 40 yards along the ground on a par 4 yesterday…..mad and a bit embarrassed I sucked it up and followed that with an arrow straight 5 wood to the left of the green about two yards off the putting surface. Was it fun? No and yes. I’m still a little mad at myself for that crappy drive and proud of the fairway shot. I can’t think of many things I do where the battle is truly against myself. I don’t think golf will die out but it may very well become a game that very few will play in the future with old clubs that they have to keep fixing because they are hard to find. I hope people in the future will be able to understand what a great thing golf is. My granddaughter loves it but my grandson can’t put down his phone long enough to get the beauty of it.
Matt
Aug 27, 2016 at 5:01 pm
Pretty solid 260 yard 5 wood, true WRXer
Dave
Aug 27, 2016 at 8:50 pm
How do you know it was 260?
Matt
Aug 29, 2016 at 8:21 pm
Hit Driver 40 yards, just think it was a 300 yard par 4.
Silverhead
Aug 26, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Just had that round today. Started with a par, got on the bogie train, dropped a 25 ft. birdie putt on #7, then made the turn onto the DOUBLE bogie train. Stopped keeping score by #14 and enjoyed the rest of the round.
ooffa
Aug 26, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Of course it’s fun. Barney stop griping already it’s getting tiresome.
KK
Aug 26, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Ice cream and symphonies are fun? Fail.
Double Mocha Man
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:55 pm
There is nothing better than Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, final movement. I’ll take a good live production of that over an eagle any day…
Fredo
Aug 27, 2016 at 3:42 pm
KK, your the clown. You just haven’t realized it yet. Barney gives us thought provoking articles that need to be applauded!
westphi
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Fun: “something that provides mirth or amusement”…that’s golf to me, and if Barney Adams is going to say I don’t play golf, I’d invite him to come play a round or reevaluate what he’s been playing all these years…
Scooter McGavin
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Also, I’m going to take issue with your logic for why there aren’t as many women golfers as there could be. While you try to put a positive spin on it by making it sound like men are the dumb ones wasting our time and women are the smart ones finding “better things to do”. I’m not starting a debate about which gender is smarter or whatever, but your argument comes across as a veiled sentiment of “men have the drive to tough out the challenges while women don’t want to work hard”. I’m not asking you to take my word for it, but all I ask is you take a moment, step back, and reflect on those remarks and see if they could be construed in a patronizing or condescending way by someone else (namely of the opposite gender). I think the real reason behind the lack of women golfers is the history it has of being a man’s sport, and the boy’s club mentality that gets perpetuated to this day. While it’s not what it used to be, you can still find plenty of men that see golf as their time away from their wives/girlfriends/women/whatever and don’t want women to play. It’s present in everyday pop culture things like TV shows, movies, greeting cards, etc. that show men as the golfers and women as the nagging spouse that gets angry when she has to stay home with the kids on Saturday morning while the husband sneaks out for 18 with his pals. It’s even more apparent in the presence of all-male golf clubs. It’s a cultural issue that is not exclusive to golf, but a number of other sports: baseball, football, etc. I’m sure you’ve heard countless men in your lifetime crack remarks about nobody watching or caring about women’s sports. There’s your problem right there. The culture that men create and that some still perpetuate.
Scooter McGavin
Aug 27, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Thanks for proving my point with your sexist comment.
Gordy
Aug 28, 2016 at 7:38 pm
Whew…you’re the preachy person at the party who shows up and kills the laughter. So, let me guess..you majored in gender studies but work at a grocery store as the cashier?
Dj
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Uh I find golf fun myself. Just because it’s challenging doesn’t mean it’s not fun. Weird article
Mike
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:07 pm
Nicely written piece.
“Fun” usually implies instant gratification. The reward from golf is greater than that.
At times, golf can seem like meditation. No one ever called meditation “fun”.
alexdub
Aug 26, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Great write-up Barney. Golf is always striving, never arriving.
Scooter McGavin
Aug 26, 2016 at 4:51 pm
Symphonies are hard too…