The Club Scene: Is Golf Dying?
This is part one of a three part series. Nearly 20 years ago, Sports Illustrated pub- lished an article titled “Is Tennis Dying?” They placed it on the cover with a huge question mark. Tennis insiders immedi- ately jumped to discredit author Sally Jenkins. Much to their dismay, fact after fact was scrutinized to
BY SEAN TAYLOR
no avail. Suddenly, the tennis world began to listen and understand what was driving their sport into the ground.
Is golf heading down the same path? Since 2005, the number of rounds played in the United States has declined annually between .01 percent and 23.5 percent. 2014 marked the eighth straight year of more golf course closings than openings. Last year alone, 158 golf courses closed. Of those courses, 97 percent were public and 66 percent averaged a greens fee of less than $40. Why, you may wonder, is our country being over-
run by skeletons of once thriving courses? Some may say the answer is obvious — golf costs too much and is too private. Others would argue it is too time consuming and too hard. The folks mak- ing these arguments must not get out much. The
price of green fees have decreased in recent years and courses are making it easier than ever to play a round, which is often nine holes instead of eighteen to accommodate busy professionals. And, needless to say, diffi cult is merely a state of mind. With op- tions such as PGA’s TEE IT FORWARD program, anyone can become confi dent stepping onto the tee box. Regardless of whether the typical arguments can be debunked, the statistics paint a very different story, one that must be taken seriously. Folks in the tennis industry, though reluctantly at fi rst, digested the challenges they were facing. In turn, they united to re-envision the game and save their sport.
Can golf fi gure it out before it’s too late? As professionals in the industry and passionate
players, how can we help shape the future of the golf industry?
1. Start Young There is a reason soccer, the number one growing sport, has U6 teams. Kids develop a passion and profi ciency for the game at an early age, and parents become associated with travel organizations before their kids hit puberty. Visit a local soccer fi eld on a Saturday morning and then pop by the local driving range. You’ll notice the difference.
2. Golf in Schools Right now it is up to an individual PGA professional
Golf Biz
to organize a program through a school system. Good luck. With their immense political power, the USGA, PGA, and Golf Course Owners Associa- tion should be able to collaborate to incorporate a program that most school systems would welcome. Why leave junior golf up to the First Tee? All three organizations should help the First Tee drive its participation.
3. McFarland isn’t just for runners The perception of golf as a sport for the privileged few has to change, because that has been far from true for many decades. Golf can be enjoyed by any- one with a passion for the sport – young, old, male, female, novice, veteran, all backgrounds. Golf is a game that prides itself on instilling lifetime values. We have to ensure those values are representative of all demographics enjoying the game. As champions of this sport, we must under- stand the future of golf depends on the action of everyone, not just a few. We have to unite for the common goal of growing the game of golf. If the game grows, golf professionals gain more resources, clubs and associations gain more members, and the community of golf enthusiasts grows. Growing the game of golf means we all win.
Sean Taylor, PGA, is the founder and CEO of Up to Par Management, a club and hospitality management company that specializes in golf and country club operations. Courses they manage include Lexington G & CC and Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia. They also manage the historic Robert E Lee Hotel in downtown Staunton.
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