Opinion & Analysis
The Future of Golf Might Not Involve Grass
What if I told you that in the future, golf will not be played on grass? Surely you’d call me crazy, but we’re slowly approaching that reality each day.
For centuries, the golf industry has been defined by green-grass facilities, but that definition is now changing. In 2017, golf is seeing some of its fastest growth from non-green-grass segments, including golf-entertainment venues like Top Golf, training centers like Peak Golf Fitness (Washington, D.C.) and The Golf Lab (Toronto), and private clubs like Golf and Body (New York City).
Although this phenomenon is somewhat new to North America, it has been a part of international golf for decades. In Asia, because of the high level of urbanization and the expense of the game, many golfers have played literally all of their golf at driving ranges and at indoor, simulator-based golf clubs.
“In South Korea, all the ranges are two or three tiers, with 50-75 stalls at each level, much like you would see at a Top Golf,” say E.J. Kim, a Golf Digest Top 40 Under 40 instructor at Axis Golf Academy in Houston. “Golf is extremely popular, despite the fact that many players never play at a course.”
Kim says that public golf is extremely limited in South Korea. It can cost upward of $150 per round plus caddie fees. Private golf facilities have memberships that range from $200,000 to $300,000. Because of this, simulators made by Golfzon, a Korean company, have become so popular that it has grown into a billion-dollar company.
On U.S. soil, Top Golf has created a course-free experience through multi-level ranges with built-in capabilities to play competitive games. The Top Golf website describes its goal as, “To help you create unforgettable experiences with friends and family.” It does so through interactive games that cater to golfers and non-golfers alike; all skill levels can find enjoyment from the platform.
When players are not physically hitting shots at Top Golf, they are treated to their own HDTV, live music and a multitude of food and beverage options. Instead of waiting for the foursome ahead of you to clear off the green ahead of you, imagine sitting on a couch with your feet up and a beverage in your hand. It’s a bit of a different experience altogether, but it’s one that golfers and non-golfers are gravitating toward.
In another realm, during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I dropped by Peak Golf Fitness. The company specializes in golf fitness and performance training.
“When you live in an urban environment like D.C., you have so much competition for your time and attention, and with work and commute times it is difficult to get to the golf course and work on your game before it gets dark.” says owner Jason Meisch. “Peak not only simplifies the time component, it also offers our clients the best access to facilities, technologies and expertise. They know when they come they will get a great experience, see some friends, and have a chance to improve.”
Meisch also mentioned that the physical performance aspect of the game is very valuable to his clients because of these time restrictions.
“Our members can now practice and workout in one place,” Meisch said. “It gives our members greater flexibility in their lives, as well as an opportunity to improve, working on a game they love within their schedules.”
With more than half of Americans living in cities, golf is expanding outside traditional green-grass facilities and offering urban players opportunities to interact with the game. New companies are filling these voids by offering players in their markets access to top facilities loaded with the latest technology and world class experts. Are theses facilities the future of the game? Maybe not the entire future, but they’re certainly an area of growing importance. Years down the line, “playing golf” may not mean exactly the same thing it does now.
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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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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole3 weeks agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole6 days agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole7 days agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole5 days agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Peter Schmitt
Jul 10, 2017 at 4:25 pm
Even if this article loses me in some places, I can appreciate the spirit of the message here. Golf is a game which requires hours upon hours of devotion to even be marginally good. The majority of people in today’s society don’t have 4 to 6 hour blocks of free time on multiple days in the same week. How does golf fit in your life if you only have 20 minutes to spare here and there? The answer is debatable, but we have to agree it’s something other than a traditional round of 18 (or even 9) holes…
nyguy
Jul 7, 2017 at 2:55 pm
Top golf is the the golf version of “bowlmor”. It’s corny.
James G
Jul 7, 2017 at 12:49 pm
Top Golf is a current trend and after a few years it will become much less trendy. It’s still relatively new right now. As for simulators, I can recall in the 80s when a driving range installed some simulators indoors for the winter and rainy days. Was busy as anything on them for the first year then it died out. Trendy things come and go.
CB
Jul 5, 2017 at 5:22 am
Ive never seen anything like the Top Golf pic in this article but I think it looks like fun. More like an alternative to bowling than a replacement for outdoor golf.
I also reckon this would be a great way to get more kids involved in golf.
Are the costs similar to bowling?
Art Williams
Jul 3, 2017 at 8:00 pm
Just another way to get non golfers into a game of near golf. Quit worrying about the number of golfers. Unless you’re trying to make your living on golf, no one cares. These new places like Top Golf are fads and we know what happens to them eventually. I remember when people thought putt putt or miniature golf was going to replace real golf. How’d that work out. Unless you’re on vacation with the family in Myrtle Beach miniature golf is a bust. So too will be Top Golf.
Jack Nash
Jul 3, 2017 at 4:01 pm
You guys are funny. Any chance you get, “let’s throw in a pic of Tiger”. How about any other known Pro who’s actually playing golf, tossing up sprigs of grass?
Robert Parsons
Jul 3, 2017 at 1:28 pm
This story is a complete shank.
Sure, I want the hacks to stay at the range.
But the day golf is no longer played on grass, I quit. Simple as that.
Ron
Jul 3, 2017 at 11:24 am
Those who have the urge to play a round of golf will not settle for an indoor simulator, period. There is certainly a place for Top Golf in the industry and I think it’s fantastic what they’re doing. But it will never take away more than a marginal number of golfers from real courses
Tourgrinder
Jul 3, 2017 at 11:01 am
You HAVE to know something’s seriously wrong when the game of golf and the golf industry has to look at bowling for new ideas and ways to play the game. Here’s the jist of the idea — sitting around a half-moon banquet, drinking beer and cajoling. Then every so often you stumble to your feet and hit a shot off a mat and have it recorded by computer. There are people suggesting that’s the future of golf?? Personally, I haven’t played any Topgolf, but I’ve seen it in action. It looks somewhat fun for friends and buddies on a Friday or Saturday night, but for some people (Matt Ginella at Golf Channel is another one), to suggest these kinds of ideas are all contributing to “growing the game” is ludicrous, dangerous, and just plain off the beam. I had a sick feeling when watching Caddyshack II when it came out that someday someone would look at that film and actually think Jackie Mason’s character Jack Hartounian had some very good ideas.
Jack
Jul 3, 2017 at 6:09 am
Could happen. It’s much cheaper to maintain these facilities compared to a standard golf course. Golfzon is very accurate, but it’s still held back by that the matt you hit off of is still way too forgiving. Bunkers and rough shots are too easy as well. The plate does move to provide different lies, but you’ll never have to hit a shot where your feet are in the bunker and the ball is by your chest. Good thing is you don’t ever need to search for your ball, all the data is available to you as well. It’s easier than in real life, no doubt about it. But it’s still decent practice.
Looper
Jul 2, 2017 at 11:12 am
Yawn…
JThunder
Jul 2, 2017 at 4:18 am
No.
The “future of music” isn’t karaoke either.
J T Rap Dat
Jul 2, 2017 at 2:06 pm
I have a black belt in karaoke.
Scott
Jul 3, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Well, unfortunately there is / was American Idol.
Dat
Jul 2, 2017 at 12:51 am
Top Golf is fun, but not real golf. If hipster d bags want to go there and hack it up, I’m all for it. Keeps them off the real courses.
WolfWRX
Jul 1, 2017 at 9:34 pm
If the future of the game no longer involves playing outside on a grass course whilst enjoying nature and the environment, then it’s no longer golf.
SH
Jul 1, 2017 at 7:45 pm
Wait a second guys, realize this:
For us real golfers who want to play on a real golf course by spending 4, 5, 6 hours or more outside on a real golf course on real grass –
This is a great thing. It will keep the lazy hackers off the real courses for us real golfers to have to not have to deal with the hacks who would prefer to sit there and treat it like bowling guzzling jugs of beer and eating extra large pizzas getting fat and going nowhere, listening to loud music yelling at each other and having no respect for anything or anybody around them.
So lets not mock it. For us real golfers, this is a real benefit. The short-attention-span kids will programme themselves to be even more short-attention, and won’t have any patience for the real sport on a real course that takes patience, courtesy and manners and respect to play it properly. Let them destroy themselves at these pseudo-video game venues and let’s keep them there and off our beautiful courses!
Yeah!
Was
Jul 3, 2017 at 1:29 pm
They ain’t gonna be awake when they’re face-down in their leftover pizza after a dozen jugs of beer and, a only couple of bad swings because that’s all the exercise their fat bodies can handle
Steve
Jul 4, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Real golfers? LOL.
Mat
Jul 1, 2017 at 7:06 pm
A better assessment here might be that industry revenue is growing much faster outside traditional courses. That’s a fact. However, it’s a bit disingenuous to say it’s “the future”. Rather, when people complain about golf as a “shrinking sport”, they would be incorrect if they included this type of growth.
Grits
Jul 1, 2017 at 6:31 pm
Video game golf eliminates courses, clubs, walking and waiting, and is the next phase of golf development for the future.
setter02
Jul 3, 2017 at 3:19 pm
No its not, just as being a driving range pro doesn’t equate to good play actually on the course. It’s just another avenue within this industry that can’t actually replace the real thing.
Matt
Jul 1, 2017 at 3:08 pm
To clarify, what about players outside of main centres and small countries? Our small town country club doesn’t even have a driving range or practice area other than a tiny warm up green next to the car park, and only the most obsessed player would fork out for a virtual course in their garage. On the upside, at least hitting balls (baseball, softball, golf) in a room or range is a lot more fun than treadmills, gyms and stationery bikes.
Matt
Jul 1, 2017 at 2:42 pm
What sort of reporting is this? Shank.
Em-Smizle
Jul 1, 2017 at 1:56 pm
More millennial bs
Ward Wayne
Jul 1, 2017 at 12:12 pm
Golf is about the outdoors and nature, despite the problem the environment brings. TopGolf is fun but it is just practice. Despite my recent round with some uneven tee boxes, horrible lies in the fairway, bunkers with a mixture of hard and soft sand with small rocks and pebbles, leaves all over the green and the bug that few in my face when I was about to putt my par save … it is all part of the game!
Bruce Ferguson
Jul 1, 2017 at 11:16 am
Although Top Golf and indoor venues are fun, nothing can replace being outdoors for me. Hopefully, urban sprawl and economics don’t deny outdoor course play for future generations.
Philip
Jul 1, 2017 at 9:59 am
What is the point of it then – might as well attach yourself to some VR glasses, guzzle beer and be just like the pros without hardly any effort. Or maybe show your moves on some VR downhill boarding with a real board attached to a simulator (with cushioning all around in case you wipe out on the virtual mountain) … don’t even have to worry about the cold … can wear shorts.