Back in March, I provided five reasons why people give up on this great game.
And while I love golf, it wasn’t too hard to think of five more reasons to quit (sad, but true)! Here they are:
Golf is too Slow
In golf, you have to have patience. The reality of golf is it takes 4 to 5 hours to play 18-holes. And in that time, you’re actually only golfing for about 3 minutes. The rest of the time is spent waiting for others in your foursome to hit or the group ahead of you to hit (who are undoubtably waiting for the group ahead of them).
That’s the game – plain and simple. You hit and wait…hit and wait. That’s why I love golf – not for just the game, but for the camaraderie and conversation you get to have in-between shots. And the fact you can enjoy nature while walking to your ball. Golf is so much more than the time it takes to swing.
Golf is too Expensive
Way back when we started this blog, I wondered if golf is only for the rich. The reality is, the economy is putting the squeeze on our wallets. And with the prices of equipment; apparel; greens fees and even lessons – it’s easy to give up the game.
Obviously, this doesn’t have to be the case, as we pointed out in a more recent post. But the price tags associated with golf can and have driven people to quit.
Golf has too many Rules
People like simplicity. Take going to the driving range – it’s simple – you either hit it straight or you don’t. But once you get out on the actual course, there are rules for every move you make (not to mention proper etiquette to follow). The USGA rule book is so complex, entire books have been written to help golfers interpret it!
Yes, the rules of golf are demanding, but remember – if you’re not on the PGA Tour or playing in a tournament, don’t sweat it if you forget a rule. Trust me, if someone in your foursome is bothered by it that much, they will call you out on it.
They’re too Young
This is something we hit on in a post recently and it’s a real issue within the game – getting people in their twenties (or younger) to embrace golf. Many try it and then quit. Why would you want to play golf if you’re in a softball or basketball league? Or how do we get past the perception that golf is meant for older folks only?
The game is slow (as we addressed above) and this might be the number one reason the younger generation isn’t interested. But golf can be both competitive and social all at the same time, which in this day-in-age, might be the key to attracting (and keeping) young players.
They don’t have the Time
The house; the yard; the spouse; the kids; graduations; weddings; family cookouts…and I haven’t even mentioned your actual career yet! The reality is we all (well, most of us anyway) have lives off the course. And let’s face it – these lives tend to get in the way of playing golf.
You know the scenario – you play once in the springtime and the next thing you know you’re carving pumpkins. Time slips away until – for some – we forget this game was once important to us.
So take care of the house; the yard; the spouse; the kids; the graduations; the weddings; the family cookouts and the career – but don’t let them stop you from getting out on the course…even if it is only once in the springtime.
