Golf's Issues: A rant: Editors' Blog: Golf Digest

Golf's Issues: A rant

Monday, March 10, 2008 Comments

Allow me a rant.

I spent the weekend in Montauk, New York, at the tip of Long Island, where there's a beautiful public course called Montauk Downs. It's a 1928 Robert Trent Jones design draped over sand hills and around fishing ponds (the kids scatter with their poles when you come to the tee on No. 6), a bargain at the resident rate of $36 and even at the visitor rate of $72. So when the weather broke Saturday night my friend Rich and I looked forward to a fast, off-season round Sunday morning. It would be windy--it had been blowing about 40 miles an hour and was supposed to continue--but sunny and pretty dry, given the rains of 12 hours previous. The sand absorbs water out there like a sponge.

But nothing doing. "The course is closed," said the woman behind the register. At 9 o'clock there were only a few us wanted to go, all walkers, of course; there was no way they would allow carts out after the rain. "Sorry. Too wet. The range is open, though." We hit balls, but we were dying to play. The course looked pretty dry; we could see just two small puddles from our vantage point, looking out at four or five holes. (Later, we talked to a neighbor of Rich's, a golfer, who walked his dog on the course Sunday morning. "Oh, it was fine," he said. "No problem playing."

Hmm, I thought. This is the industry that's wringing its hands about decreased rounds and golfers lost to other activites. Let's say there were just 25 of us who wanted to walk the course on Sunday. Maybe a few friends like Rich and I, a couple of singles, maybe a dad or two and his kids. Maybe it was only $1,000 to the State of New York. The offices were open anyway. The pro shop was open. The range was open. What would have been the harm of letting 20 or 25 diehards walk and play the golf course? In the world of round-counting, we were low hanging fruit. (I remember playing at Tralee in Ireland two years ago. We played through the most ferocious wind and rain I'd ever encountered. As we finished, soaking wet, huge puddles lined the 18th fairway. We dried off, ate lunch and by the time we'd finished the sun was out and golfers were heading out again.) But at Montauk they were closed.

The fact, is golf isn't hungry. It talks hungry. It issues press releases as if it's hungry. But if it were really hungry, there would have been no question about golf on Sunday at Montauk Downs. If it were really hungry, there would be free clinics for kids every month at every public course. If it were really hungry, there would be after-school junior hours where kids could get access to local courses. If it were really hungry there would be nine-hole leagues for every conceivable human subdivision, from singles to sorority sisters, heck, maybe even six-hole leagues. If it were really hungry, I'd be writing about a crazy, gale-swept, laugh-out-loud, triple-digit round at Montauk on Sunday.

Golf ought to take a lesson from the Mom and Pop owners of the courses we grew up on who created couples outings, hit-and-giggle clinics, breakfast leagues, free hot dogs with rounds, you name it, to fill their "inventory". Or from Frank Thomas, the former USGA official whose new book, "Just Hit It", echoes this back-to-basics theme. "Golf really should be a simple and pleasant experience," says Frank. "The game began in nature," says Frank. "That's where we found satisfaction." Not in perfect conditions. Not even in big-name designs. That's all we wanted on Sunday, a little tussle with nature. Folks who understand why people play don't find reasons to shut their gates. They might warn us about the wet spots. But they enjoy crazies like Rich and me who would want to play in a 40-mile-an-hour wind. We're their customers.

--Bob Carney

Rating

Rate it:

1 star 2 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 stars

Comments

Archived Comments (3) Click to expand

This has been a wonderful read. An accurate observation on the pressing needs that have to be taken up by the powers that be in the world of golf. It is not something that only affects people in places like America and Europe where Golf is an established sport. In places in the rest of the world, specially in Asia where Golf is one of the fastest growing sports great care has to be taken to sell the game to the people in the right manner. Recently at the Johnnie Walker Classic in New Delhi, one of the regions premier tournaments the organizers had done a fabulous job of creating a carnival like setting, just the kind of atmosphere which would encourage youngsters to come and watch some of the golfing greats in action and also push them to really want to play the game of golf. While saying that the fact is that most courses seem to want to maintain the elitist touch about them. Pride they believe rests in exclusivity and there seems to be no intent shown to draw the public towards the game.

Encourage not dissuade, that is the message that must be sent out. Otherwise the trend of flagging numbers in places like North America will continue and the game might never really find a footing in new regions and the dream of Golf becoming a truly global sport will remain a pipedream.

http://www.golfswingsecretsrevealed.com/blog/2008/03/04/the-two-best-tournament-courses-in-the-world/

Posted by andybrown March 10, 2008 9:42 PM

There are two sides to that coin where I live.
One course is owned by one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.
Hell, I've played there when there was still two-foot of snow on the ground in some places!
Then there is the muni course that thinks there freakin' Augusta National.
I think the fact is that younger people want something a little faster-paced than golf.
There were a couple times last year where I walked off the course because the bozos in front of me wouldn't let me play through.
I love golf, but if golf doesn't love me back, then I guess it's time to sell the clubs and buy a mountain bike.
At least then I can blow by anyone slower than me.

Posted by GolfingFool March 11, 2008 5:37 AM

I agree, especially over the past few years, golf has been posing as hungry but not acting upon it accordingly. I grew up on a 9 hole course owned by my father and uncle. There were leagues for every type of player and all members knew Friday mornings belonged to the kids. Junior clinics began at 8am on the range (by age group) followed by 9 holes of play. Here I am, 12 years old and I'm helping my uncle teach the golf swing to 8 & 9 year olds. I loved it. I learned a lot about the swing by teaching it to kids when I was a kid. Not only was it inexpensive, but it helped grow golf in the area.

Now, it is difficult to find such a thing at any course around. Couples leagues have turned into a once-a-year tourney and most times you're not paired with your spouse because your spouse doesn't play. Not only should there be a push for juniors to play, but women especially. I'm the tournament director for a regional amateur tourney in my area and we have been having difficulty keeping the women's tournament active because of the lack of participation.

Club pros and course directors - both public and private - have to reach out and make golf a lifestyle again. Help re-sell used clubs to assist the beginners to get started. Hold beginners clinics at least a couple times a month - for all, not just members. Promote partial memberships - 10 rounds, 20 rounds, 30 rounds, etc. Offer twi-light rates, "Mondays only" memberships, Junior day, anything along these lines.

Drive home the fact that golf is both sport and recreation and once learned, you can play it the rest of your life. It befuddles me to see so many pompous people involved in what used to be the "gentleman's sport".

Nothing is worse than visiting a course outside of your area only to be treated like an outsider who doesn't belong. Nothing is better than visiting a new course and be treated like a new family member, even just for a day.

Posted by Kiter March 11, 2008 11:34 AM