Are Americans Giving up on Golf?
According to a recent New York Times article the number of Americans playing golf is decreasing. The article cites finding the time, the cost, deteriorating golf etiquette (cell phones?), and a changed perception of a game of golf as a business outing.
According to the National Golf Foundation, around 26 million Americans play golf. However, only about 4.6 million play regularly–more than 25 times a year. Only 25 percent of golfers are women.
I live in a part of the country (northern Ohio) where golf competes during the short season with camping, boating, and other types of outdoor activities. Still most of us true golf lovers manage to play at least nine holes before running off to other weekend commitments.
What do you think? Is golf dying a slow death? Is it becoming a game to watch, rather than play?
2 Comments
[...] Original post by Sandy Mitchell [...]
While the game shrinking does concern me, I think it’s a matter of golf having expanded quickly beyond its bounds. Now it seems to be contracting back to reality.
When Tiger Woods came on the scene, there was a huge explosion. There was huge interest in the game. People were taking up the game more than ever. Courses were sprouting up all over.
I’m not saying all that was due to Tiger Woods. In the U.S., the economy was in great shape. A lot of factors came together. He just helped to spark people. But explosions like that don’t usually last.
I know I’ll be watching this trend carefully and will be doing my best to try and help grow the game. I certainly don’t think it’s dying. Still, golf shrinking doesn’t do any of us any good as golfers.