News
Growth of the Game of Golf
The United States is Experiencing Stagnant Growth in the Game of Golf
Is slow growth a temporary problem or a permanent one? What are the solutions to this growth problem in the game?
According to the National Golf Foundation year-to-date rounds in the United States are down 9 percent. In 2006 rounds were up almost 1 percent for the year, due in part to unseasonably warm weather in the northeast during the winter months. In 2005, rounds were down 1 percent for the year. Is this stagnant growth a continuing trend, and if so what are the issues prompting it? Let’s look at some of these issues and determine if this is a growing trend or just a blip on the warning screen.
Weather
Golf is one of the few sports that is completely reliant on weather. If the weather is poor, then you cannot play. For example in the winter months in the North, most places are either too cold or covered with snow or ice. The weather is fantastic in the Southeastern and Southwestern parts of the country during the winter, and that is when they are at their busiest. The summer months cause areas like Florida and certain parts of the desert areas to slow down dramatically. This is due in large part to the high heat and unpredictable weather. Conversely other parts of the country, like the north, are in full season and generating their additions to the total rounds played. So does weather play an important role in rounds played? Absolutely, but it is not the only factor to be concerned with regarding the growth of the game.
Price to Play
Price is a concern of every business not just golf. In the market system under which we operate in, demand is driven by price and vice versa. If there are an over abundance of golf courses, and not enough golfers, the price will go down in order to attract customers. Conversely, if there is a shortage of golf courses, and greater amount of golfers than the courses can handle, the prices will increase. That is what is known as basic supply and demand theory. What about private clubs and high end public facilities you ask? Well, they feel the crunch of economics and economic wellness as well. Think about a private club in your area; now imagine that a similar private club is constructed across the street, but the membership dues are 10,000 dollars less. What is going to happen? Assuming that the golf courses are on par with one another, the golf course that is charging more is going to lose a lot of their members to the new golf course, as well as any new potential members. Why? Because for less money you get the same product as you would across the street. The same would hold true for a public course in the same situation. This is in essence what has happened to the golf industry. The building craze was responsible for over building golf courses to the point that they were averaging 1 new golf course built per day. This was great for the golfer, as they had a multitude of choices, and the prices to play seemed to hold constant. Something had to change, because this could not continue for ever could it? No it could not, there were not enough golfers to sustain this growth, and courses began to lose money, and some eventually had to shut down. This shut down and growing lack of competition has caused the price to play golf to soar over the past few years, ultimately not good for the golfer. There are fewer golf courses being built than a few years ago, the prices at the courses that are still there are increasing, and the rounds are getting longer as the golf courses are becoming more crowded due to the shortage of places to play. This has driven a lot of golfers to get their golfing fix at the driving range. More and more people are opting to just hit balls and practice, than go golfing every week. Picture the golfer who might have played 50 times a year, now he is down to half of that. Prices have made the golfer make a choice, do I want to spend this money on a round of golf or do I want to spend it on something else? He or she ultimately makes the choice that is the best for him or her and their situation. If the prices continue to escalate ahead of what people can afford, the same trend could persist, and this situation may not bode well for the current middle to low income golfer and the industry itself.
Price of Equipment
The price of equipment has soared right in line with the price to play golf. Drivers that used to cost $200-250 dollars now are in the $500-800 dollar range. Putters are in the same boat. The top of line putter used to cost $75 dollars, now the entry level quality putter is $100 dollars and the top of the line collector putters can cost up to many thousands. This trend holds true for just about all aspects of golf equipment. This is a game where if you want to have your own set of clubs, it can cost you $200-400 dollars just to get a decent starter or used set. Not to mention, there is a coolness factor attached with clubs, and if you are one of those people who cares what others think, there is no way you are going to have a starter set. Equipment is pretty pricey for a lot of people, and then on top of that add the cost of playing golf per week, and this is recipe for stagnant growth. It is a lot cheaper for people to rent or borrow one club to hit some range balls, instead of going out, buying a whole new set of clubs, and then heading out to the course to play.
Equipment companies flood the market with new products every year in hope of catching some of those consumer dollars and they do manage to catch quite a few of them. The estimated worldwide market for golf club sales is $3.9 billion dollars. They are there to make a profit, and I for one do not blame them for that at all. We live in a market system and that is the reason they are in business, to make money. The problem that I see is, especially in the United States, they are potentially scaring some people away from the game due to the extremely high prices for some of the latest and greatest equipment. The die hard golfers need the new clubs like a kid needs a sugar fix, and this is what the golf companies know. The newer golfers on the other hand, tend to not know a lot about equipment, so they don’t know what to, or what not to buy. Seeing a price tag of $1,000 dollars or more, for a name brand, full set of clubs, bag, shoes, and balls is a potential deal breaker. But again, as I mentioned earlier with regard to the price to play golf, at some point there will be a price that is too high, and then the prices will fall as the demand for new equipment does. We have seen some evidence of that in the past years, as some of the “top of the line” driver prices have started to go down slightly, instead of constantly rising where they were getting to be $750 dollars. I don’t blame the golf club companies for trying to make money, quite the contrary actually, but like all the other areas mentioned, they have to look at the long term health of the game. If they want to help make sure the game is still there many years from now, along with the nice profits that they are seeing today, they need to make sure they are aiding the growth of the game as well, and not inhibiting it with prices that are too high.
Time
Golf is a sport that is very time consuming. A round of golf can take upwards of 5 hours depending on where you play, add that to the travel time and a beer or two after the round, and that my friends, is a full day. Pace of play has been a hot topic with many golfers and has been cited as a reason for decline in play. It is definitely part of the problem, but not the entire part of it. Golf has always been a social game, especially back in the early part of the century when most people who played it were wealthy, and/or in the upper crust of society, as they were the only ones that could afford the clubs, and had the money to play the game. Not only did they have the money to play, but they also had the free time to play. There is a segment of golfers that are not wealthy, and they work full time jobs, sometimes two, and most are unable to “get away” for a few hours at lunch, or move a meeting, so time is a major concern for them. They are the one day a week players, or weekend warriors. Some of these “warriors” might prefer not to waste one of their days off spending 8 hours at the golf course. Part of this is the fault of poor pace of play, and part of this is because of the overcrowding caused by golf course closures/lack of openings, and part of it is the socializing associated with the 19th hole after the round with your buddies. There are obvious ways to make sure that you play fast, you could play early, play nine, and possibly play at non-peak times. But if you are going to go to a course on the weekend with your buddies, play 18, have some lunch and beers, and reminisce over the round, plan on a long day. Time concerns are not the only reason why the growth of the game has slowed, but could be yet another viable reason that may add to it.
Tiger Boom
Finally let’s look at what I call the “Tiger Boom”. Since his first day in the national spot light, Tiger Woods has caused the world of golf to step back and watch. He is different, not only in the way that he plays and dominates the sport, but his ability to transcend it in so many other avenues. He is a special person with special talents, and we are fortunate to bear witness to what he is doing for not only golf, but society as well. He is opening doors for people who never had the chance to play golf. He is changing the face of golf, allowing golf to be cool and accessible like never before, not just some stuck up snobby sport for the elite. With the inception of the Tiger Woods foundation, and the First Tee, there was a tremendous amount of hope that this new influx of golfers would be the boom that the sport needed. Why have we not seen this major influx? Shouldn’t Tiger have been the answer to all of our problems regarding the growth of the game? Shouldn’t he be the savior because of his far reaching popularity? Television ratings suggest that could be the case. When Tiger plays the ratings are double and sometimes triple a non-Tiger event. But the answer is no, he is not the savior of the growth of the game. His impact on the game is remarkable, but until the people that he has opened the doors for are able to utilize those abilities, the growth will not be realized. Golf is still too expensive and unavailable to many people, including the people that are helped by the Tiger Woods Foundation and The First Tee. So it is going to take time to see this if this influx of new golfers affects the overall rounds played and spurs the new growth of the game of golf.
What is the answer?
What is the answer to why the growth of golf is stagnant in the United States? Is it a permanent problem or is it a temporary issue that will work itself out? Only time will tell. I don’t have an exact answer but I do have an opinion. I can tell you that the golf industry, from a rounds standpoint, is not doing as well as it was a few years ago. Golf course closures, the price of golf increasing at an alarming rate, the time to play golf (being an all day affair at some places), and the cost of equipment continuing to increase, are all things that need to be examined. In my opinion golf growth in America will continue to stay stagnant due to a combination of the above mentioned areas. But then there will be a trickle down of sort. At some point the prices are going to get too high and they are going to drive to many people away from the sport, which will then cause the business people in the industry to take notice. Very similar to the stock market, or the housing market, the golf industry has a bubble and it will burst at some point. Some say that it already has happened in the United States, with all of the golf course closures, but I personally don’t think it has burst yet. Over the next few years, rounds will continue to decrease and the industry will continue to lose golfers because of bad business practices from golf courses, golf management companies, and golf manufacturing companies. Greed is good according to Gordon Gecko, but it can also be bad, if you slap the hand that feeds you too many times, he will stop feeding you. Unless the prices to participate in this great sport are checked, too many people are going to be left out, and in turn, all golfers, aside from the wealthy, are going to suffer. If it gets too expensive, only the wealthy are going to be able to afford to play, if and when that happens, there would not be enough of them to sustain the industry as a whole, and the game of golf could suffer dramatically.
I feel that in order to grow the game of golf there needs to be a consolidated effort from many different areas; all working together to help make sure that the game of golf is healthy. The PGA of America, The USGA, the golf course owners association, and the club manufacturers all need to come together and form some sort of a unit that will oversee the wellness of the game. Right now I am fairly certain that none of the above mentioned organizations have any say in what the other does, and vice versa. It might be better if they could work together to improve the game as a whole, not just in a part here or a part there. That way there can be a checks and balances type situation, where we can make sure that everyone’s immediate interest is in promoting the game, and participating in its growth and sustainment.
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- LIKE3
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue
|
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls
This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)
This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.
LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms
There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.
This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.
Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.
Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte
Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.
Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.
HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!
He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week
It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.
The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.
Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.
Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie
Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.
In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again. Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.
Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.
At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.
Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Report: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Gary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Equipment6 days ago
Details on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Team McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Whats in the Bag1 week ago
Keegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
-
Equipment2 weeks ago
Golf fans left surprised by LIV’s choice of course for its 2024 individual championship event
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
LIV star splits with swing coach after working together for 14 years
Jason Payne
Jul 30, 2007 at 11:36 pm
How does a sale mean left over crap? If I buy the clubs you just bought only six months later are they still not good clubs?
Lon
Jul 30, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Equipment…..issue…is that… technology and price aside….what 95+% of golfers really need… is a stable set that doesn’t become yesterdays news before it leaves the shelf. The end of the season..off season.. sales.. to unload old models, unwanted designs, and just old crap-ola left- overs… needs to stop from all manufacturers…outlets…golf speciality shops et al. ‘cus it compromises the credibility of the entire industry.Quite frank-ly…, the “sale sign ” has come to mean old crap instead of enhanced value/savings!!!! PERSONALLY…I HAVE NEVER PURCHASED A GOLF SALE ITEM IN ALL MY YEARS IN THE GAME. I currently play the latest greatest…purchased in 2006/07 ..and will not purchase a new club..until 2009/10..or/11. …or when the V-groove issue will kick in…whichever comes first…my putter, is the same style/co. I started with in 1964, the wt. is heavier and it’s milled titanium no sight lines at all…, irons from same co…. only the driver, fw and bag come from more forward thinking co’s. with a different slant on things…their performance is superior to that other co’s offerings….and, matches my game …better. I’ve aged into a hybrid too/instead of my 2 iron….more situations i can use it in. I have played the same co’s ball all my life in it’s latest offering, i wear the same co’s shoes too. I’ve dropped the glove thing..no more leather grips…to use them with. I use high technology tees, just to be different. My + Hcp bears out that I can play. I just really dislike the fact that most people are so confused….they don’t get it. Draw/slice biases and all that other junk..name one 15 who has the same swing with any club in their bag??? …they play the wrong shafts, grips, lenghts, etc. I have only met a handfull that have the right stuff in their bags. Whenever/wherever i play they always ask my advise for their games. We should talk sometime…Respectfully, L