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

[click here]

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.

[GolfGuy]

I think fewer people will start now, or continue, with the current tight economic times ... area course were already in trouble in some parts of WA, and I forsee more going under in the next year or 2.Is it time for more 9 hole rounds?

[Pat Smith]

GolfGuy, although I do agree with most of which you said I think most people who play regularly will continue to regardless of the economy.

Pat Smith (www.squidoo.com/help-with-golf-swing-1)

[Bob Miegl]

I guess the numbers don't lie, but being an avid golfer surrounded by people with the same "addiction" I don't see a decline in the number of golfers in my area (Southern CA).

Besdies loving the sport, I do feel it is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise - I try to never take a cart. Walking 18 holes carrying a bag of clubs isn't the most strenuous acitivity, but it has some merit.

Do you think people are too busy, too lazy or is it a cost issue?

There's not too much that would keep me from getting out there...of course I do play a minimum of once a week, so am quite avid.

[cheap golf equipment]

you have to play golf all the time. This is must to do.

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[cheap golf equipment]

i think it is the opposite. people are playing golf more. my friends
play more.

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[improve golf swing]

i do not see this. My friends play golf twice a week at the least.

[improve golf swing]

everybody is playing golf.

[golf components]

Golf wasn't really a first choice for every person when it comes to sport. People prefer basketball or soccer or any energetic sports compare to golf.

[Will, hopes to play better golf]

"with the economy the way it is, no one can discount the expense of golf", now isnt that the truth, soon golf is only going to be for the rich.

[improve golf swing]

golf is such a great game.

[Simple Golf Swing]

Golfing is one of my great passions. Although I suck at it I try to spend as much time as I can and have had relative success at improving my game.

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[R B]

I know first hand that the number of golfers is in serious decline. I used to own a country club (for 11 years). I was lucky to get out of the business when I did (last year).

Here are some of the reasons people are not playing golf:
1. It takes too much time. People do not want to devote 4+ hours to playing a sport.
2. Due to the economy, there is not a lot of extra money to go around. People are afraid that they are going to lose their job, so they are stashing their cash.
3. Forgive my reference to gender, but golf began as a rich man's sport. In the days when the man was the sole breadwinner, it was considered his right and privilege to spend his entire weekend on the golf course generally without his family. Now that many women are equals in the earnings category, they have a heavy influence on where recreational dollars are spent and often times they opt for something more family oriented, less expensive and less time consuming.
4. Golf is not an easy sport to learn. Unless you are fortunate to have "natural ability" learning the game golf can be a long, painful and frustrating experience. Many people begin the sport and give up in short notice without a fight.
5. So if you are not a really good golfer (and most of us are not)why would you spend large sums of money on a sport that aggrevates the bejesus out of you?? Well, in the past, people would do just that because their friends were playing, they wanted to "keep up with the Jones" and there was more peer pressure to become involved. Now people are more conservative with their dollars and are "trading down." Maybe they'll play golf, but they want a deal...the 2 for 1 special. No deal... no golf.
6. The baby boomers that we in the golf business thought were going to retire and spend their remaining days putting around on the golf course....well a good number of them have decided to trade in their old spouse for a new one and start a new family. We had seen a very large trend of 50+ year old guys with small kids in tow...and they weren't the grand kids. These guys won't be retiring anytime soon, especially when they're still paying for their kid's college when they're 70.
7. Golf is getting a bad rap for being a wasteful and unnecessary evil of the rich. This attitude has been further propagated by the "AIG resort junket" scandal. Golf is not politically correct right now.
8. Golfers can be down right rude and nasty. Having been in the business, I have seen the whole gamut of snobbery, attitudes and general meanness that (some) golfers exude. Yes, there are nice golfers too. But the nasty ones more than made up for the nice people and I had seen the nice golfers at my former club driven off by the nasty ones. It was incredible. I actually had to ask a couple of nasty members to leave the club just to bring the situation under some sort of control.

That is my assessment of the golf business after 11 years of being in the business. What I noticed most is that after 9/11 it was as if someone flipped a switch and the number of players was noticeably lower ......and it has just continued to decline from there.

[Improve Golf Swing]

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[chris s]

i used to be an avid golfer.i will never forget the comments that a members wife made at a golf club presentation 20 years ago.
"i come up here once a year because i have to and thats it"
rampant snobbery
i went to shinnecock hills looking for tommy hilf gear
the shop pro/assistant sniffily said our members dont want that sort of stuff-or words to that effect

[r4 gold]

I like your post. I also love to play golf. Golf Channel points out almost every match today has been won by the lower seed, making this nutty event the short-track speed skating of golf.