Thursday

Scourge or Savior? Varying Perspectives on the "Social Golfer"

The message finally seems to be resonating throughout the golf business world: for this industry to be sustainable it's going to need to embrace some changes.

A decade of decline in participation, which ironically coincided with a period of overheated development, has left many who make their living in golf, in a precarious position.  A position that doesn't allow for an exclusionary image... or even the perception of one.

From the PGA of America's recently unveiled Golf 2.0 to the USGA's "Tee it Forward" initiative, to the ongoing efforts The First Tee there's a fresh emphasis on increased accessibility and openness ...on making the game less intimidating and more friendly, fun, affordable. The theory is that all those good things will make a wider swath of the population want to take up the game... and stick with it. Women, families and young people... under-represented among today's golf population... are being courted with particular zeal, as they clearly represent the best hope for growth.

However, while strategic plans reflect this change in direction, and industry stakeholders appear to have collectively embraced it,  I'm not sure everyone's being completely honest with themselves when it comes to welcoming a new... and different... attitude to the golf course.


This thought came to me while reading a recent article by inspiring LPGA player, Judy Rankin.  In Breaking With Tradition, the Hall of Fame golfer writes about the often subtle, country club "traditions" that continue to make the game less-than-welcoming, ...and suggests some smart, out-of-the-box actions to address the twin issues of time and difficulty, so often cited as barriers.

The 26 time LPGA Tour winner is clearly an advocate for upping the openness and accessibility of golf, none-the-less, towards the end of her article there were a couple of paragraphs that made me wonder if avid, competitive golfers are really ready to welcome the "social golfer".

What can women do to help promote change? For starters, we can approach golf more like a sport and less like a social event. A round of golf, although friendly, should not be a chat session. You wouldn't take a break from your serve in tennis to talk for a minute. Women are faster than the general perception, but some could still play faster.


Female golfers also need to step it up on the equipment side. Good equipment is crucial to better play for slower swing speeds. Women should get informed about what's new, and those who can afford it should experiment. Technology levels the playing field, and we need to invest in the game that now really wants to invest in us.

Now here's the thing, I know quite a few golfers (including ...at times ...myself) who play purely for fun.  They rarely keep score and aren't particularly concerned with setting or achieving goals.  This may be due to lack of time or they may just not be competitive by nature.  These folks enjoy "the game", "the social event" and "the outdoor experience" in equal parts, and they generally play with used balls and equipment that's slightly, um, "retro",  but... they're as well-versed in golf etiquette as the most avid competitive golfers, thus pace-of-play is never a problem with them. In fact, they often find themselves slowed down by the more "competitive, goal-oriented types" who A. search endlessly for their expensive lost balls B. mark every single putt C. spend excessive time reading greens D. obsessively wash their balls and replace their club covers.

Don't get me wrong, I see where Judy Rankin is coming from and agree that players... male or female... who don't adhere fully to the rules of golf etiquette and pace-of-play are an anathema to the game.  What concerns me though, is that in the midst of this unprecedented industry-wide effort to grow the game and keep players in it, there may still be a substantial block of "avid golfers" who aren't quite ready to set out the welcome mat for anyone they consider a "social golfer".  In fact, there's already ample evidence of this on the golf message boards.

The fact is, "Social Golfers" will need to be a key part of any strategy that aspires to drive new players to the game and even more so when the goal involves re-engaging lapsed players.  What this makes clear to me is that the programs being put into place to grow the game must include new and innovative approaches to communicating, teaching and reinforcing golf etiquette.  More than anything else this may eventually lead to a warmer welcome for new players and a more positive  perspective on "Social Golfers".

9 comments:

  1. Hi - I'm with you on this - insisting on a competetive and almost 'professional' approach will exclude many of those who play golf becaue they're not quite up to more physically taxing sports but still want to take part. Mind you, I don't think there are many who really love the game and don't want to score (and win!)
    GreenGoddess

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  2. Scourge or Savior indeed. The golf industry, and their current core customers must decide how how - or if - they want to grow the game.

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  3. Yeah probalbly and sadly it is a true fact that the people are not really interested in this game, but this is really a royal game. Hope people could create more interest in future towards this game.

    thanks and regards.

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  4. I couldn't agree more with you Patricia. The only things that matter in golf are etiquette and pace of play. Clubs, balls, clothes should not matter. Golf should be fun first, last and foremost. Most new players are intimidated by golf - not by the game, but by the players.

    The game doesn't need to change - it's the attitudes of people who already play. If they truly welcomed everyone just the way they are w/o trying to change them, the game would grow.

    Thanks for writing this!
    Cheers
    Gayle

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  5. Exactly! The thing that's remarkable is that it's SO much more common for competitive golfers to slow things down than it is for beginners to do so. Especially women beginners.

    I read the Judy Rankin piece and agree that while she makes some excellent points I did get the impression that she felt women golfers were more likely to be gabbing and slowing things down than men which is not my impression at all.

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  6. I think what's best illustrated here is that etiquette and pace-of-play must be emphasized much more... and right from the beginning... if golf is to grow effectively. Golf etiquette and pace-of-play should be simplified, distilled down to basic easily understandable principals, and then posted, communicated and reiterated in a uniform manner across the industry. This should be a part of all grow the game efforts and it should be "spun" for lack of a better word, as something empowering, not something restrictive. I haven't seen much of this in the recent grow the game proposals though it may well exist. In any case I feel it needs to be stressed much more going forward.

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  7. .

    the best golf teachers most ALL encourage competition, no matter how small the stakes

    the purpose is to focus on the hardest part of golf - hitting the ball well

    read harvey penick to get where i'm coming from on this

    you can only relax on the course when you hit the ball well otherwise things go downhill fast and frustration and anger set in and at that point its over

    pace of play is the greatest concern and second IMHO is hitting the ball well

    comparing it to bowling, to throw gutter ball after gutter ball is no fun for anyone, those throwing or those watching, no matter how timely the delivery and pace

    i have partnered with women playing with only a three iron and seven iron and putter - and hit each club right on the button - it was a joy to watch despite the relative lack of distance and repetitive results (although the three iron yielded consistent 160 - 180 yeards and the seven iron 120 - 140 meaning her ball was 280 - 320 down the pike in TWO on most holes - plenty for playing from the womens tees)


    frankD
    ftliquordale soFLA

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  8. .

    as far as "growing" the game, i hear that like someone saying there should be more cars on the road

    i was never a proponent of the big tent idea, whereas everyone would have a tee time available to them at anytime

    i rather propose that the game accept those who come to it without being "sold" on it, and further, not go looking for the masses to come in and crowd out the already passionately converted

    i realize this sounds selfish

    i am also suspicious of developers using golf to sell residential projects as if a named architect or player can both sell the home and maintain the integrity of the course


    anyway that's that



    frankD
    ft liquordale soFLA

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  9. I agree that sometimes it's the more competitive types who slow things down. I have played with guys just like you described, who mark every putt and spend forever reading greens.

    Also, chatting during golf does not necessarily slow down play. I like to chat when I play, and I think it's almost unnatural not to. When I'm golfing with gal pals, we are getting to know each other or catching up on each other's lives. We can talk while we walk, and we know to keep quiet during other people's swings, but without the conversation, golf wouldn't be as much fun.

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