We're not playing as much golf

People aren't getting outside and playing golf as much as they used to: More Americans Are Giving Up Golf (Paul Vitello, New York Times, Feb 21):

The total number of people who play has declined or remained flat each year since 2000, dropping to about 26 million from 30 million, according to the National Golf Foundation and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

More troubling to golf boosters, the number of people who play 25 times a year or more fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000, a loss of about a third.

The industry now counts its core players as those who golf eight or more times a year. That number, too, has fallen, but more slowly: to 15 million in 2006 from 17.7 million in 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation.

This is part of a broader pattern of a decline in particiption in outdoor activities:

The disappearance of golfers over the past several years is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities — including tennis, swimming, hiking, biking and downhill skiing — according to a number of academic and recreation industry studies.

A 2006 study by the United States Tennis Association, which has battled the trend somewhat successfully with a forceful campaign to recruit young players, found that punishing hurricane seasons factored into the decline of play in the South, while the soaring popularity of electronic games and newer sports like skateboarding was diminishing the number of new tennis players everywhere.

Rodney B. Warnick, a professor of recreation studies and tourism at the University of Massachusetts, said that the aging population of the United States was probably a part of the problem, too, and that “there is a younger generation that is just not as active.”

Here are some more posts on changing patterns of outdoor recreation: Nature recreation.

Comments

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Being bored with five hours of commentary is not what the Masters is famous for. Why are the front runners highlighted or buried under commercials, while the most famous collection of brilliant golfers in the world seem to miss the cameras eye. History isn't quite as important as the live feed promised to the viewers during the preceeding weeks. The collection of ancient announcers lacks any humor or excitement. How six people can rattle on about their individual expertise in the sport is certainly not what...

[Janie]

Maybe it's a sign of less people enjoying the benefits described in the book titled, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris.

Being bored with commentary can only happen when watching golf, NOT when playing golf. :)

Janie

[Pinky]

this seems to go against what i'm seeing personally. there are def. more people in san diego people golf.

[Golf Directory]

Amazing, I always though Golf was actually picking up and becoming more popular...

[Belleville Golf]

I felt with Tiger doing what he does, golf popularity was on the rise. However, with the economy the way it is, no one can discount the expense of golf and how it can easily be shuffled down the list of priorities of the common man.

[Tony Brawley]

I'm an avid golfer that is always looking for ways to improve, not only my game, but to share with others the knowledge and skills I've uncovered. But it seems to be getting harder and harder to find golfers of all ages wanting to make the commitment to practice and really make a difference in their game.
It appears the older we get the more "other" things grab importance especially when our foresomes are dispursed by job changes.
Tiger didn't help the networks this season but the Fedex should be a little more exciting. TB

[Chuck Summers]

I think it is a modern disease, there are so many demands on our time and so many choices of leisure activities that sport is just another one competing for our attention.

I think you can find some clues as to why when you look at the boom in the home entertainment market, people can watch movies at home the quality of which improves at a very fast pace.

With lots of goodies like high definition TV and plasma screens to buy, little funds are left to pay for 7 day memberships and the time to make use of them is short too.

But there is hope, we are seeing an increase in coaching schemes for youngsters in our area.