NSG_Winter2017

SHADES OF GREEN
THE
STATE
OF OUR
GAME
1457 – ?
REPORTS OF GOLF’S
DEATH ARE GREATLY
EXAGGERATED
By BOB GREEN
With the North Shore's 2017 golf season
winding down, it’s time to examine the state
of our game.
In recent years, we've been bombarded
with news that "golf is in trouble," “the game
isn’t growing," and doomsday predictions
that "golf is losing popularity" and
“participation is dwindling.”
During the 1980s, baby boomers were
reaching the age of making an impact on
the economy. Real estate values were
climbing as boomers entered the housing
market. Salaries were going up.
Golf was growing along with the economy,
and boomers were taking up the game in
record numbers. In 1988, the National Golf
Foundation issued a challenge to developers
to "Build a golf course a day for 10 years” to
meet the demand. The number of golf
courses in the United States increased at an
incredible rate over the next decade.
The flawed thinking was that there were
enough new golfers to fill the memberships
of all the courses that were being built,
many of which were sprouting up in
already-saturated areas. The costs of
land, construction of the courses and the
clubhouses, let alone yearly maintenance
fees, were at a record high.
Supply exceeded demand.
This forced clubs to charge high initiation
fees, high dues and green fees that were
more than the average person could afford.
During the 1990s, developers bought land
and built golf communities. The prediction
was that houses in a golf community could
sell for more than the same house outside
of a golf community. It spurred the growth
of even more golf course developments.
The middle class couldn't afford them.
Consequently, lots went undeveloped and
builders went bankrupt.
Again, supply exceeded demand.
It looked bad, with so many courses
closing. But golf itself was not in
trouble. Flawed thinking and unrealistic
expectations were the reason for these
closures, not that golf was "losing
popularity."
A market correction was
needed.
In the mid- to late-’90s, more
unrealistic expectations occurred,
thanks to the arrival of a young
phenom who was going to motivate
hundreds of thousands of people
to take up the game of golf:
Eldrick "Tiger" Woods.
TIGER
WOODS
Golf industry leaders envisioned a large
increase in participation from inner-city and
minority teens and young adults. It didn't
happen. They certainly were fans, who
watched Tiger on television, but they did not
flock to golf courses and learn to play in the
numbers anticipated.
In the meantime, the golf manufacturing
side of the business exploded in anticipation
of the demand for equipment, creating an
oversupply.
Again, the game itself was not in trouble
just because the number of golfers hadn't
increased to meet the growth of a "new
course per day" mantra and the glut of golf
equipment manufactured to meet the
anticipated demand of new golfers from the
Tiger Boom.
Supply exceeded demand.
With the Tiger phenomena a thing of
the past and participation numbers and
revenues lagging, some industry leaders
offered suggestions on how to interest more
people to take up the game or play more.
TaylorMade Golf CEO Mark King created
a game called "Hack Golf," played with
15-inch cups, and manufactured a set of
oversized, easy-to-hit, nonconforming clubs
designed to make golf easier and, thus,
more attractive.
"This is all just an experiment," said
Benoit Vincent, TaylorMade's chief technology
officer. "We have no idea what this will lead
to, but that's not stopping us from trying it
out. The idea is to make golf more fun for
more people. Part of the plan is to have
people playing only for an hour or 90
minutes at a time, at least at first.”
All in the interest of furthering their goals,
not the goals of those of us who love the
game as it is. You see, it's not about golf, it's
about money. Thankfully, such initiatives
have not caught on.
Golf is and always will be a niche sport.
The entire population of the United States
does not have to play golf to keep the game
vibrant and successful. It would be great if
everyone in the world played golf, but that's
not realistic in any sport. Despite that, golf
has grown incredibly in the past 50 years.
The PGA of America, USGA, LPGA, PGA
Tour and Masters Tournament, in the spirit
of collaboration, are working with each
other to focus on four major areas to
develop the game: >>> P. 31
NORTH SHORE GOLF