HBO Real Sports: The Future of Golf

[Sakuraba]

I don't think this is a repost, but I found this quite interesting. I'd love to go to one of those TopGolf Range/nightclubs, that looks awesome.

http://youtu.be/QFEYC4Z44v0

[leftylucas]

It is an interview that should open the eyes of the golf course owners, courses closing every day in the USA, Jack Nicklaus not working on a single design in the USA. Golf is declining but some courses still treat you like you are priviliged to be there and do not by any means complain about it!!! Taylormade's CEO sounds the alarm stating golf is too expensive, too time consuming and too hard. 5 million golfers lost in the last few years hence the call out to hackers. I liked his innovative idea of making the hole 15" for kids, more fun (faster too), very Gretzkiesh, Wayne is a great proponent of making the ice surface proportionatel smaller for kids and get bigger as they get older. Make the game more fun and less frustrating and you will develop those young golfers. The foot golf looked like a lot of fun and certainly would be a great workout too. Top Golf bar is a great idea, private hitting booths similar to bowling, one lane with tables everyone taking a turn.

Nicklaus agreed that making the game less difficult and more fun would bring the masses in to the game.

[Gobble_It]

I would think that the cost of green fees/equipment that drive the players away and not the difficulty of the game or how long it takes to play ?.

Who would in their minds go to play golf , paying good chunk of cash and kicking the soccer balls ? They mind as well , go to any park to do that or play frissbee golf .

[leftylucas]

Exactly, the cost is too high, that is what is making the sport becoming elitist once more.

[PingMCS]

I think too much flashy advertising for high end gear that only produces marginal gains at a high cost is what keeps new golfers away.

A good patient mentor is needed to bring in new golfers. More emphasis on having fun and gently trying to improve whilst using an APPROPRIATE first set of clubs that was bought at Canadian tire, WalMart, Ebay or Kijiji.

An encouraging, motivating, lower cost, low pressure approach would get me in if I did it all over again.

Losing golfers?... well...there WAS a baby boom and those people are now getting too old/injured to play golf.

[Wknd_Warrior]

They should watch the door doesn't hit them on the way out

Let them take up another sport, and "eat cake" lol

[bNeill]

Golf is fine the way it is in my opinion.

We need to get over this ideal of constant growth in our society.

Many things can be better by limiting growth. Business, population and sport to name a few.

[BC MIST]

Golf is fine the way it is in my opinion.
We need to get over this ideal of constant growth in our society.
Many things can be better by limiting growth. Business, population and sport to name a few.

Good points.

The cost of equipment is too high because of the hundreds of millions of dollars given to Tour players each year to play their products. Four hundred million to Tiger and Rory translates into 1,000,000 four hundred dollar drivers. Being fit by a local club maker with good components yields not only clubs better suited for the player, but at a reduced cost as well. Many still believe that if they play the clubs that "X" plays, that they will pay better, too. Not.

[golfisforfun]

I don't think it is the cost to golf, because most other sports cost the same or more. How much to ski for 4 hours? How much to rent the ice for an hour? How much to play soccer for an hour? The cost per hour for golf is not any more expensive.
I don't think people have the time to play like they used to. More and more people have less and less time for fun and games...