Golf isn’t dying—it’s just adjusting, adapting, modifying and acclimating. And the new forms of the game don’t always need to come with libations and merriment.
Alternative forms of golf are seemingly in the news every day. While I never caught the appeal of footgolf or disc golf, I know people who thoroughly enjoy both. My 9-year-old son plays soccer in the summer. Perhaps footgolf is my way of introducing him to the sport I love.
Even more popular (and always in the news) is the “gamification” of golf via massive entertainment venues like Topgolf, Drive Shack and OnCore Buffalo. My wife, who doesn’t golf, loves going out with our friends for dinner and drinks. A steady flow of appetizers and alcohol—with the addition of toe-tapping music—can make golf even more enjoyable for anyone.
But alternatives within the golf industry don’t always need to come with libations and merriment. Even the most staunch proponent of the sanctity of the sport would appreciate Rez Golf. Not familiar? The Navajo Nation caught the golf bug and turned dusty fields into makeshift courses. Players can piece together a set of clubs for pennies on the dollar and join their peers in a friendly—or competitive—round.
On the other side of the world—Mumbai, to be exact—they’re playing Slum Golf. Much like Rez Golf, there isn’t much of an investment in equipment. But people who would otherwise never have an opportunity to play are traversing the city streets with club in hand, chasing a little white ball and the one, perfect swing.
Back home here in the States, the story of a group of friends building their own course in one of their backyards brought back many memories of my childhood. While my “course” wasn’t nearly as impressive as Brough Creek National in Kansas City, Kan., it occupied hours of my time and provided the setting for my only hole-in-one.
On a larger scale, golf course architects are creating incredible short courses, reversible courses and courses that offer multiple returning loops, allowing golfers to play variations of a round— from three holes to all 18. I played Gary Player’s 13-hole short course in Branson, Mo. Forget the odd number of holes—the most unique thing about Mountain Top was the fact that there were no tee boxes, but instead a stake you stuck in the ground to signify where you and your playing partners would begin that hole. Crazy, but incredibly fun.
Golf isn’t dying—it’s just adjusting. The industry terminology for course closings is “rightsizing.” I used “gamification” earlier, but that doesn’t seem accurate; after all, golf has always been a game—and the greatest game, many still feel. So perhaps some better terms for what’s now taking place would be that it is adapting, modifying, acclimating or habituating?
What alternative options are you offering to attract more golfers to your facility? Drop me an e-mail at the address below, and we’ll share with our audience.
Rob Thomas
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