Golf Is Dead, Long Live Golf.
The European Tour performed a study on golf participation in the United Kingdom and the results contradicted a decade-long downward trend. Golfweek reported on a Golf Actives Study finding that nearly one fifth of the population in the U.K., or 11 million people, is playing golf in some form.
There has been no shortage of news reported on golf’s decline. Golf equipment, golf stores, and even the Golf Channel have been hit by the dip in the sport’s numbers over the last 10-plus years. This new research may finally signal a reversal.
“Our ‘Golf Actives Survey’ suggests our sport is very healthy, participation in it is changing and the younger generation have more options to experience our wonderful game.”
-European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley
The modifications Pelley is speaking of include driving ranges, putting greens, par 3 courses, nine-hole and pitch & putt courses. All are non-traditional forms of golf and they are appealing to the prized demographic in a golf resurgence, junior golfers. The most common analysis floating out there (right or wrong) pits the length of time it takes to play a round of golf against a diminished attention span of today’s youth. These two factors were creating an ever-widening gap that would allegedly keep golf participation down for years to come. Maybe golf’s efforts to adapt have started to pay off.
“It’s all about bringing new kids into the game of golf,” said Ian Poulter at this past week’s British Masters which he hosted.
The European Tour allows kids 16 and under to attend tournaments for free when accompanied by an adult. The Open Championship has the same policy.
“We need to grow the game of golf and make it fun for players to come back to the game of golf. The numbers have declined over the years.”
Yes, the numbers have been down, but as I’ve mentioned before, it feels like the tide has turned and the numbers just need to catch up. The momentum is building led primarily by a youth movement in the professional ranks. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy have announced the arrival of the next generation of Tour pros and it has been a blast to watch so far.
With idol-worthy stars on TV and easier, quicker access to the game, the death of golf may have been reported prematurely.
#GolfIsDeadLongLiveGolf
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