Let’s see…golf participation is down, the number of rounds played is down, golf clubs are closing every week and of course equipment sales are “challenging.”
Not a pretty picture but let’s look at some hard numbers that were covered only in passing by the golf media…if they were covered at all.
According to the National Golf Foundation in 2010 about 9% of Americans over age six played at least one round of golf – 80% were men. More than one-third of golfers are over 50, 58% live in households making more than $75,000 per year while almost 80% have gone to college – maybe not graduated but attended. Nothing new here as we have always known, golfers tend to be better educated make more money and male (I like to think better looking too).
A big problem is though new people are beginning to play each year their numbers are exceeded by those quitting or playing less.
In another NGF report the number of rounds played in 2010 compared with 2009 was lower by 2.3%. Weather and certainly the business slump are cited as causes plus many of those surveyed said they didn’t have the time, but these reasons are nothing new since it became apparent the “Big Bang” was not going to happen. You may remember a decade ago this was the predicted surge of people who would flock to the game following in Tiger Woods’ footsteps. Not only wasn’t there a surge, the number of participants and consequently the number of rounds played has been steadily declining.
Particularly hard hit in 2010 were thePacific NorthwestandSouth Atlanticregions, each losing 4.3%. On the bright side though, rounds played inPittsburghandHartfordwere up substantially; too bad both don’t have longer seasons.
NGF says in 2010, 107 courses were closed (46 were opened for a net loss of 61), the fifth year in row of more closings than openings and in five years there are 220 fewer. The total number of golf facilities in theU.S.at the end of 2010 was 15,890 which are 167 less than the all-time high of 16,057 in 2004.
An optimist might look at all these courses being converted to other uses or simply abandoned as “pruning the supply.” The theory is as long as the number of courses falls faster than the number of rounds being played the courses remaining should see increases.
The golf industry is striving mightily to find fixes for this ever shrinking universe. Golf 20/20, Get Golf Ready, The First Tee and Play Golf America are just a few of the programs in place to bring new golfers in and get those have dropped out, back. So the golf industry is not a pretty picture but we can hope all the attention being paid to increasing play and players will soon have better results.
About Ed Travis
Related posts:
- Industry Hills Golf Club Earns 2010 National Golf Course of the Year
- Japan's natural/man made disaster take a toll on Golf Industry
