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The NYT reports that golf courses across the country are experimenting with 15 inch golf holes the size of pizzas to stop people from quitting the game amid reports that golf has lost five million players in the last decade with 20 percent of the existing 25 million golfers apt to quit in the next few years. "We've got to stop scaring people away from golf by telling them that there is only one way to play the game and it includes these specific guidelines," says Ted Bishop, president of the PGA of America. "We've got to offer more forms of golf for people to try. We have to do something to get them into the fold, and then maybe they'll have this idea it's supposed to be fun."
A 15-inch-hole event was held at the Reynolds Plantation resort last week featuring top professional golfers Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, the defending United States Open champion. "A 15-inch hole could help junior golfers, beginning golfers and older golfers score better, play faster and like golf more," says Garcia, who shot a six-under-par 30 for nine holes in the exhibition. Another alternative is foot golf, in which players kick a soccer ball from the tee to an oversize hole, counting their kicks. Still it is no surprise that not everyone agrees with the burgeoning alternative movement to make golf more user-friendly. "I don't want to rig the game and cheapen it," says Curtis Strange, a two-time United States Open champion and an analyst for ESPN. "I don't like any of that stuff. And it's not going to happen either. It's all talk."
(Score: 5, Informative) by starcraftsicko on Tuesday April 22 2014, @06:40PM
It's worth pointing out that the cost to play golf is fairly substantial. You're not going to get a decent set of clubs for much less than $500... and really $1000 is closer and still not top end. And the ancillary equipment is not exactly cheap either -- shoes, gloves, golf balls, bag, 6 different kinds of putter...
On top of that, the cost to actually play a round once you've made the capital investment can still be substantial. The local public course charges $42/person plus $30 for a (optional, but advisable) cart. Call it $110 per outing for two... and that doesn't include a meal and a drink (or 3) after the game.
Poker night is cheaper even if I lose every hand.
And lest we forget - On Golf [youtube.com].
This post was created with recycled electrons.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday April 22 2014, @07:08PM
On the other hand, locally there are (were?) not one, but two miniature golf courses within a 15 minute drive of home, with adult evening hours, alcohol sales, and no dress code (so the women show off a bit more, especially when its around 100 F outside in August). A round takes less than an hour. Back in the single days I took dates there. They also had no-alcohol teen nights which I attended as a teen. And its a lot less than $110 and no upfront capital expense. Also, unlike "real golf", miniature golf is actually fun, especially WRT adults only evenings and alcohol sales and dating. They attempt to limit absolute debauchery (no fun!) by only selling one drink per purchased round of golf, in other words about one drink per hour, which leads to people giving away free golf rounds occasionally if they're really thirsty.
(Score: 2) by zim on Tuesday April 22 2014, @10:40PM
And public courses are closing or going private all over around here.
Membership required. Public not welcome. You need to pay us a large chunk of cash to even have a chance to come in here.
That and it's really not a 'friendly' game. The few times i got dragged out to play. Most of the people i met were really not very nice at all. Took their 'sport' VERY serious. And were very snobbish to everyone.
The exceptions are when you go as a group with the goal to get drunk in the sun. But there again. The cost factor. You can get drunk alot cheaper than at a golf course.