Associate Editor Phil Keren thinks more clubs should embrace the idea of offering events and lessons geared toward this young adult cohort who are golf novices.
While there is empirical data that more young people are taking up golf, I’ve seen anecdotal evidence of this trend.
All three of my sons — ages 22, 19 and 16 — have played a lot of golf during the past few months. While they have played an occasional round with me in the past, this year is the first in which they’ve fully embraced the game in all of its glories and frustrations. My 22-year-old son bought a new set of clubs, while my 19-year-old son purchased a few used clubs at a secondhand store to add to his set.
Their newfound passion for golf has provided us with some nice father-son bonding moments this summer. We played 18 holes on a recent trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and also enjoyed a 9-hole round in Kent, Ohio, on Father’s Day weekend. On our trips to the driving range, I’ve tried to share my knowledge of the golf swing, but usually through words rather than demonstration since my own swing is quite inconsistent.
My 19-year-old son has been bit by the golf bug the most as he hits the links seemingly every chance he gets. He also provides a nice counterbalance to my tendency to overanalyze what I’m doing. He’ll order me to “just swing!” as I line up a tee shot on the course or the range. As someone who played a lot of baseball growing up, he is still using the baseball bat-style grip and I’m encouraging him to try either the interlock or overlap method.
Meanwhile, my 20-year-old nephew has golf fever and seems to be competing with my 19-year-old to see who can play more rounds this season.
KemperSports in 2021 released a survey where it asked nearly 25,000 current, lapsed and new golfers about their preferences and habits surrounding the game. Nearly 27% of new golfers were in the 18-to-34-year-old age range. Two of my sons and my nephew fall into the younger portion of that grouping and my youngest son will join that demographic in the not-too-distant future.
KemperSports’ survey also revealed that 40% of new golfers said “fun events or activities combined with golf would motivate them to play more rounds.” It’s not clear what percentage of the golfers talking about fun events are in the 18-to-34-year-old category, but I think it’s a safe bet that it’s a sizable chunk.
I know country clubs and golf clubs typically offer instruction and leagues for younger golfers under the age of 18. Since there are a lot of young adults who are relatively new to the game, I think we will see more clubs providing activities geared toward this demographic. Such efforts are already happening, according to the report from KemperSports. Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, offers a Social 6 series where golfers can play a 6-hole round that ends with a social cocktail hour. After noticing an increase in the amount of young golfers coming to their course, officials at Timberlinks in Denton, Texas, created a patio area where golfers can gather after their round. KemperSports also started an All Welcome initiative to attract and retain new and diverse golfers at its properties. As part of this program, some Kemper properties offer “complimentary 15-minute lessons, virtual/social instructional content and clinics,” according to a Kemper news release.
I think more clubs should embrace the idea of offering events and lessons geared toward this young adult cohort who are golf novices. Instruction could occur on the fundamentals, as well as course etiquette. Would my sons and nephew attend a group golf lesson with people as old as their parents? Doubtful. But it’s likely they would go to an instructional session in a fun and relaxed environment with members of their own peer group.
With this new landscape in front of us, I would love to hear from general managers and head pros at country clubs and golf clubs who are offering events and lessons geared toward twentysomethings, particularly ones who are new to the game. Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] and I will share the responses with our readers.
tom says
Tom loegering owner of Sun City Country Club AZ.WE host (GPS) a group that introduces 5-9th graders to golf see http://www.golfps.org WE have provided them with free space for a GPS golf Academy which will cater to local families and kids. Kids that played in our in school program play free till they finish Hi School, When accompanied with a paying adult.
We have hired Andrew Yang a longtime PGA pro to head the GPS Golf Academy. He will be addressing our target audience 5-9th graders and families .with programs like free Family Fun Day -each month we host a free program for our community at large to come and be introduced to golfers free.Let’s see how big this group is tom