#growgolf Archives • Page 2 of 4 • GolfStinks

My Wife’s First Time

August 15, 2014 | By Pete Girotto | 2 Comments

It was a beautiful August night. A light breeze, clear sky and not an ounce of humidity. We paid our greens fees and…wait…you know we’re talking about my wife’s first time GOLFING, right? Come on, get your head out of the gutter. This is a family-friendly site people.

After the past 7 years we’ve been together I had no idea she never went golfing. She’s been to the range before but never hacked up a track. I figured why not do something different for the first time – night golf! We have a local place here that features an executive par 3 under the lights which was perfect for her. Trust me, it’s one of those places that if you played it during the day you would be wondering why you were even there.

I must say though, the place did let her use a set of clubs for free which was very nice of them. Here’s where the irony began. I was concerned she was going to hold up the group behind us because of mis-hits and whatnot that I think I jinxed myself. It ended up that I was spraying all over the place and she kept it straight…go figure.

The important thing is that her first experience was a good one and I think she might have caught the bug. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing yet. Especially if she thinks I’ll be paying for her every time. Regardless, considering golf has been losing players I’ve made it a point to try and introduce more folks to this game we love.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

3 Ways to Fix Golf

August 6, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

It finally happened – the golf industry is finally starting to notice that the sport might be in trouble. It may have taken many, many course closures; mass retail layoffs; and hundreds of thousands of golfers to quit the game, but there is a buzz circulating within the industry…and that buzz can be basically boiled down to one question: How do we fix golf?

First, let me tell you what’s NOT going to fix golf: Gimmicks. Contrary to what you might have recently seen on HBO Real Sports, giant holes and nightclub driving ranges aren’t the answer (at least not in the long term). Instead, what needs to happen is a fundamental shift in the way we (industry folks including course owners; equipment and apparel companies; and sports media) approach this game…namely in how we teach it; write about it; and market it.

Fix # 1: Throw out the current USGA rulebook

The USGA rules are nice for tournament play, but the recreational golfer shouldn’t be held to them. For the high handicapper (90% of golfers), playing by the current rules not only makes the game more difficult, but it also (and perhaps more importantly) slows the game down. Now I’m not suggesting we have no rules. What we need is a simple set of basic guidelines that are universally accepted by the golfing industry (especially teaching pros). One such set already exists with the Recreational Golf Association of America’s rulebook. This rulebook consists of just 13 clear and concise rules along with a section on etiquette – that’s it. I’m also not opposed to the USGA creating its own simpler set of rules for the recreation golfer, as something with their official stamp on it might help with universal implementation and acceptance. And one more note on etiquette: I believe etiquette is more important than the rules themselves and it should be taught first – especially in regards to slow play (knowing which tee box you belong on; letting a faster group play though; etc.).

Fix # 2: Get equipment and apparel prices down

I fondly remember my first set of clubs – a complete set of Spalding Executives (it included all the irons, a sand wedge, the driver and 3- and 5-woods to boot)! Total price of my old clubs? $300. Handicap then: 18. Now I have a $700 set of irons; paid an additional $240 for a sand and gap wedge; and purchased last year’s driver for $200. Total price of my current clubs: $1,140. Handicap now: 18. WTF? I spent 280% more money for the same handicap? This is an all-too-real problem in golf. The reality is expensive clubs don’t help your game (try lots and lots of lessons and practice instead). Where are those Spalding Executives nowadays? They, or at least sets like them, need to be the main feature on display in retail outlets instead of the current à la carte system of club-buying. That system is only benefitting the manufactures and the public is starting to get wise. Same with apparel – why is the average big-name golf shirt $50 – $80? And why are prices in course pro shops so freaking high? People that might want to start playing golf see those prices and run for the hills.

Fix # 3: Change the focus to “fun”

Golf is played for fun and your score should always be secondary. As with the simplified rulebook, this needs to be universally accepted across the industry (actually, the mere acceptance of a new rulebook would go leaps and bounds for golfers having more fun). If the industry were to shift its marketing from “you have to play better” to “have fun playing,” not only would we retain more golfers, but create new ones to boot. We’d also remove some of the frustration tied to playing well and replace it with the idea that it’s more important just to be out playing. “Get outdoors on a beautiful course on a beautiful day while spending time with your friends or family.” This is the message we need to send. Not: “spend more money on this equipment so you can try to look halfway decent out there.” See the difference?

So: Simpler rules; lower prices; focus on fun.

I don’t want to sugar-coat this – these changes aren’t going to be easy. And the market is still going to shrink while it corrects itself from 20 years of overgrowth. But if the industry can adopt even just one of the three aforementioned fixes, the road to recovery will not only be faster, but the future of golf will be brighter.

Is Golf a Dying Sport?

July 30, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | 4 Comments

Empty Golf Range — Empty driving range (*photo by Greg D’Andrea*)

I love golf. And I know many, many people who also love golf. But even those of us who love it admit there are a few issues that tend to drag it down: It’s too slow; too hard; and too expensive. These are inherent to the game – always have been and probably always will be.

But recently, there have been a few additional red flags run up golf’s proverbial flag pole: First, there was the Chinese government enforcing its ban on building new courses, effectively halting industry growth in what was a promising emerging market; Then there was the alarming NGF (National Golf Foundation) report that 400,000 people quit golf last year, supporting the idea that golf participation is shrinking, not growing; and finally, there was the mass layoffs of golf pros at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores last week, suggesting golf (as it stacks up to other recreational activities) is no longer worth investing in.

If all that isn’t grim enough, there’s always the pesky issue of growing the game to the younger generation. I recently put in my two cents on how to do that properly, because many Millennials (or younger) simply don’t/can’t relate to golf. Take a recent comment we received from a 25 year-old:

“I just don’t have time to learn [golf]. I can get to the range to practice once a week, and play once a week, usually the day after I get to the range. It’s just not enough, I quit today because after months of effort I’ve gotten nowhere. I feel bad abandoning my dad, because I was golfing with him, but I refuse to embaress [sic] myself anymore out there and he has friends he golfs with as well. I should add that I’m 25, and I don’t see many young people on the course, mostly grey haired guys 50+. This sport is dying anyway, I don’t see the point in putting a ton of effort into learning a dead game walking, it won’t exist by 2040.”

Granted, this is just one person’s opinion, but it sounds all too familiar. The younger generation only wants to play to win. And if they can’t excel at golf it’s not worth playing at all. Lost on them is that you don’t have to be good at something to love it. The comments from the 25-year-old above help prove this point – that he quit because he wasn’t good at golf – even if it meant spending less time with his father.

And what of golf being a thing of the past in just a short quarter century? Sounds a bit far-fetched…Or is it? I mean, the notion of every course being gone in 25 years is obviously ridiculous. But that doesn’t mean golf couldn’t be a shell of what it is now…especially if current trends continue. It’s not impossible to imagine a future where golf has regressed back into a small, elitist game – golf pre-1960 if you will – back before Arnie and Jack and television and new equipment technology opened golf to the masses – and more recently before Tiger and the new course explosion that grew this game to what it is today (over grew it, according to many industry sources).

As much as we don’t want to consider that outcome, it would be foolish to ignore it. More courses are closing than opening; hundreds of thousands are quitting and big retail seems to be giving up on the game. Perhaps NGF is right – that this is just market correction from several years of over-growth. But if that’s the case (and the economy continues to struggle), at what point does the market correction end? And perhaps more importantly, what can/should we do about it in the meantime?

Maybe we shouldn’t do anything? Maybe we should just let the market correct itself and hope that when the dust settles, golf will be problem-free. Or maybe we should act now to ensure golf actually has a future once that dust settles?

I truly believe the solution is to market the fun aspect of this game, rather than being so focused on making people play better. From the teaching pros, to the equipment and apparel companies, to (and perhaps most importantly) the media – there needs to be this fundamental shift in our approach to golf. Here’s the thing – not everyone is going to be good at golf. In fact, most of us are going to stink. So let’s embrace that. It’s our job to show the younger generation how fun golf is regardless of what your score is. And it’s time we veterans of the game learn that lesson too – Isn’t walking the fairways on a beautiful day with your friends at least slightly more important than the final number you write down on your scorecard?

If you said no, perhaps this game truly is dying.

So Much For Growing Golf in China

July 16, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

You may have read about this a few weeks ago but if not, here’s a quick recap: Basically, the Chinese government has begun destroying new golf courses (some so new they haven’t even opened yet) to enforce a ban put in place to preserve water, land and curb pollution in the country. You can read the original Reuters story here.

While the particulars of this story are all very interesting, what the Reuters piece doesn’t mention is the overall impact this will have on the golf industry in general. Golf is in its infancy in China, but its growth had looked extremely promising. The country has just 639 courses (compared to more than 17,000 in the U.S.), but nearly 50% of them have been built in the last five years.

Now consider that this growth happened all while the country is under the aforementioned ban on building new courses (which dates back to 2004). Why would developers risk fines and other penalties to build golf courses under the guise of “Sports Training Centers” and “Tourist Resorts”? Because there is money to be made – lots of money.

Golf is beginning to catch-on with the more wealthy Chinese and they are willing to pay for it – from expensive memberships to high-end golf course properties, golf is a chance to affirm their status in the community – just like it was in the U.S. years ago before the middle-class also began playing. As courses spring up in new areas, it stands to reason new golfers would also be born. The game would grow exponentially and with it, the industry as a whole – equipment, apparel, etc. – an entire golf lifestyle niche would be carved-out in the country.

Think about what 10,000 golf courses in China would do to the industry as a whole. Heck, even 5,000 courses would be an unbelievable asset to the game. No one is denying that golf courses use water and take up space – but done properly (using effluent water and minimal chemicals), they not only benefit those that play but the communities they are built in as well.

But in China, it’s just not meant to be – at least for now anyway. Though developers had been flying under the radar for nearly a decade and building new courses anyway, it appears those days are over. The Chinese government publicly announced it had not only closed but destroyed five illegal golf courses in March as a warning to developers. With only a few hundred courses, golf in China is sure to remain a minor sport enjoyed by only a small percentage of wealthy.

How to Plant & Grow the Next Generation of Golfers

June 25, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | Leave a Comment

Keep it simple when introducing golf (CC-PD-Mark)

It’s no secret the biggest issue in golf (perhaps second only to slow play) is cultivating young golfers who will continue to play as they grow up. Believe it or not, this is our responsibility as adults and parents. We must introduce the game to our children in a way that sticks with them.

For example, kids need activities they can emulate in the backyard. Think about baseball, football, soccer and basketball – all games you can play in some form right outside your back door. You can throw the football around; kick the soccer ball into a practice net; play a game of Wiffle Ball; even erect a 10-foot high net to shoot hoops. But golf? Virtually unheard of.

When I was a teen, I would go outside with my pitching wedge and a few plastic practice balls. I would setup targets around my yard and pitch to them. Sure, I guess you could say I was working on my short game, but it was more than that – I was also playing a game – a mini round if you will. Friends would come over and play my backyard “course” too – we even printed out scorecards to make it official. But how many kids do this? We recently reviewed the backyard golf game, Bonzi Golf – this is one game that can get kids into the spirit.

Another idea is to simply give them access to your clubs. Whenever I have my clubs in the living room, my son is all over them. He wants to learn about what they are and how to use them. He’s only 3, but the interest he had in my clubs prompted me to buy a real putter for kids his age. He now asks to practice putting in the house so he can play along with me.

And here’s a novel idea: Take them to the course with you! Bring them along on a nine-hole round at the local muni. Let them sit in the cart or walk along with you. Even let them take a couple shots (maybe a putt or two). But the point is to introduce them to the game while letting them observe you (someone they look up to) enjoying themselves golfing. Of course, this means you can’t let your emotions get the best of you – if you hit a poor shot, don’t show your frustration. Just go out and have fun and they’ll get the idea.

And on the shots you let them take, perhaps swap a regulation ball out for one more forgiving, like the Polara ball for instance (stay with me here). When I spoke to the CEO of Polara, he mentioned letting kids begin by hitting the Polara since it’s much more forgiving. But be transparent – tell your child this is a “special” ball for beginners. The theory is they won’t get as frustrated and will keep at the game long enough to get hooked. Then, they can switch to a regulation ball. The CEO likened it to training wheels on a bike (makes sense to me)!

But perhaps the most important way to get kids to like golf and stick with it is to not make it so complicated! Keep it simple by just teaching them the basic rules and etiquette. There is absolutely no need to hand them a rulebook – instead just go out and play a round with them and then give them the basics as you walk through the course. If you’ve taken them out with you before they are actually playing (as I mention above), then they will already have a decent understanding of the game.

Unfortunately, exposing our kids to golf is not exactly top of mind. We keep our clubs hidden-away in our garages or in the trunks of our cars. And when we do play a round, we tend to leave our children behind. Meanwhile, golf on TV is (let’s face it) boring and there’s no golf little league for them to partake in. So it’s no wonder golf is something we tend to discover later in life (if at all).

If you’re a parent and a golfer, it’s on you to introduce your child to the sport. Buy them a backyard golf game; or show them your clubs. Let them tag along on your next round and when they’re ready to swing on their own – go easy on them with the tips and rules and all that other stuff we tend to overdo when we introduce someone to the game. Heck – even buy them a golf video game if you think it would get them interested.

The reality is, golf isn’t going to grow itself. And kids aren’t just going to gravitate to it. The solution begins with you.