Save Golf? Part 5

     This morning I was looking over my FaceBook page and I saw the headline "Where Have All The Golfers Gone?"  According to the headlines, golf is in trouble.  Sales of equipment is down and the number of rounds is down substantially. The statistics are not that rosy, and you can ask why.
     Honestly, I don't think golf is in decline.  It is in a deep slump, but not a permanent decline.  It will come back provided the powers at be make some important decisions.  We need to remember that golf not only is is a game, but it is also a commodity.  The rules of economics apply here.  When demand was up, costs to the golfer were high.  Demand is now down and demand is down.  Costs to the golfer must go down.  There is no other way around it.
     In the article I read, the author was discussing the acquisition of GlobalGolf.com by Dick's Sporting Goods because Dick's wanted to increase their online presence.  The whole thing was a disaster for Dick's because the golf market for new equipment has pretty much tanked.  I don't know if the retailer, all retailers understand what really is happening.  The comment was made that they are selling $300 drivers now for $100.  Excuse me, but I am no economist but I am not going to pay $300 for a new driver, no matter what the claims are.  Besides, its the swing not the equipment. I'm on my third driver and fourth driver in over 45 years of playing golf.  I'm still an 18 handicapper and equipment hasn't changed my game.

These are my beauties, and I have had them for five years. I did change from steel to graphite for my back.

     New equipment is overpriced.  When commodities are overpriced, they stay on the shelf.  Its just that simple.  No matter how much TaylorMade, Callaway or Titlest spend in advertising the equipment just won't sell.  Yes, as the article pointed out and I totally dispute, golf is a game that mostly rich white guys play one has to think about it.  They didn't get rich by being stupid for the most part.
     Is it really only rich white guys who are playing the game?  I almost feel insulted by this.  Have the elitists who make those kind of comments ever been to the first tee at Riverside Golf Course in Fresno, California?  They completely forget that most play is accounted for on municipal/public courses.  Golf at this level is an everyman's sport.  My own foursome is made up of myself, a Greek/Italian American, an African American, a Redneck and my wife.  That is what golf is. MAGA, The Mexican American Golf Association, is one of the largest golf organizations in the United States.  Is MAGA made up of mostly rich white guys; NO!
     If you want golf to flourish, make it affordable. Let's look at green fees.  I used to work one hour to be able to afford a round of golf on a municipal or other golf course.  Now, it takes up to three. Of course I have limited my rounds from three a week to once every two months.  Plus, I am retired and on a fixed income. I don't have as much to spend on golf.  There are a lot of us in this same boat.  Let's see, do I play golf or pay my rent.  That's a tough decision.
     Yes, golf is in a downward adjustment. Costs due to high demand have gotten our of control.  Its not making the hole 15 inches in order to speed up the game that will bring golfers back.  What will bring golfers back is making golf more affordable.
     That's it for now.  Hit 'em long and straight, make that putt for birdie.  By the way, have you checked out my new website?  Take a look, it is up and running.  http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com










         

Save Golf? Part 4

     New golfers may be intimidated when they play on the course the first few times. There are a couple of ways to get around this frustration and embarrassment. with a couple of very simple solutions. We all remember when we started in the game.  My first 18 hole score was a whopping 152 and I have been playing the game for 47 years. You must keep everything in perspective because in golf you are never perfect.
     I have a question for you the new golfer.  Do you really want to beat yourself up by taking that 15 on the first hole? Its not necessary, you are not plying for one million dollars in The Masters for the championship.  You are learning the game.  Why not set a maximum stroke limit and then pick up?
      There are a number of ways you can set up stroke limits with the goal of eventually playing all shots as your game improves.  I will guarantee you that it will improve if you keep at it and as you play you won't get as frustrated.  You may not become a scratch golfer--I am an 18 handicapper and OK with that--but you will improve as you keep playing and take lessons. Hang in there, it will get better should you stick with it and study the game.
      How about telling yourself that when you tee off on number one, you will limit yourself to a certain number of strokes. When you have taken that many strokes you move on to the next hole. If your ball has been beaten to death twelve times on a hole, is that enough fun for that hole?  Don't feel bad about picking up and moving on--believe me I still take twelves on my card in tournaments but if I am not playing well on a hole I pick up when I'm not in a tournament.  When you have an established handicap you will learn about something called equitable stroke control. It is your friend. Equitable stroke control tells me I can only take a triple bogey on any hole.
     We who play the game know that there is more to the game than just a number on the card.  A hole is played by driving, fairway shot, chipping/pitching and then putting. All parts of the game come together to make up the score on that hole.  Why not limit the number of that particular shot, ie drive, fairway etc., on a hole.  In other words maybe drive the ball and if the ball goes not exactly where you want it, place the ball somewhere close to the fairway near your playing partners. Hit a couple of fairway shots and then place the ball near the green.  Try a two chips/pitches to get the ball on the green and then a couple of putts.  Set a limit on the number of shots.  I would say one drive, three fairway shots, two pitches and four putts.  After you have reached your limit on the particular shot, move on to the next type of shot. Eventually, you won't have to limit your shots and will be able to play the hole, taking each shot.   By the way, I still four putt greens and take high numbers on my card, so don't worry about your score at this point.
     I will let you in on a little secret.  There are holes on courses that I play that I have never mastered.  They are ether too long, require forced carries over water or gullies or whatever.  I don't fool with them.  I still try them, but sometimes I will hit my drive up to the water and know there is no way my ball is going to carry the lake or gully.  I take an old ball and throw it into the lake or gully, say "Oh well." and move on to the next hole. 
      What about water hazards and out of bounds you may ask.  Don't worry about that, just make sure you have enough balls. Should you go out of bounds or in a water hazard, first of all remember the safety of the fish in the hazard. Forgive yourself for hitting that fish on the head, tell it you are sorry and just move on.  Hit your next shot from somewhere around the hazard and tell the fish to look out. Don't count the penalty shot.
Do the same thing for out of bounds, but tell the homeowner you are sorry for breaking their window.
I'ts OK, you are learning. Remember, even professional golfers put balls out of bounds and in water hazards.
They are playing for money and have to count the strokes.  You are not and don't have to count the strokes right now.
     As a new golfer, you are learning the game.  As players of the game, we how have been playing for a long time want you.  It may not seem that way, but we do.  Don't beat yourself up, just learn the game and play it.  Over time you will get better.  There is NO perfect in golf.
      My golf website is almost complete.  There are a lot of things on it that you may find interesting. Take a look at it at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. That's it for now, hit 'em long and straight! 

The ball has to carry a gully that is almost impossible to get over.  I tried and failed, threw my ball in and then moved on. I carded a triple--Thank you Equitable stroke control.

Save Golf? Part 3

     Let's face it, golf needs to grow.  How does it do this?  The answer may seem ridiculous, but it is true. Golf needs more new players. It is kind of a stupid thing to say and I don't want to be "Mr. Obvious", but think about it for a moment and how true that really is. Golf is trying in a number of ways.
     Junior golf is thriving.  What better way to get more players on to the golf course than to start them young.  I know this as I have been involved in junior golf. It was my pleasure to start a competitive league at the junior high level in Fresno. This sport was never played at this level on an inter-school basis. The response to this was overwhelming. I still see many of my players on the golf course playing at different levels almost twenty years later.  They are still enjoying the game of golf.
     My daughter became involved in junior golf.  She was a member of  the Junior Golf Association of Northern California and played in tournaments throughout Norther California. She also played on her high school girl's golf team which went to the California State Tournament in her freshman year, and the San Joaquin Valley Tournament in her senior year.
     After she graduated from high school she went on to play golf at the local Junior College.  There, the her golf team went on to play in the California State Junior College Tournament and place third.  She now is going back to school and works at a local driving range.  She is considering enrolling in the Hospitality Management Program at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas and specialize in Golf Management. The program offers a Class A Golf Professional Certificate at the successful completion of the program.  I'm very proud of her and it all started at the junior high level.
     I am very proud of the game for sponsoring The First Tee Program.  Golf is a great game, as those of us who play it know.  The game builds character and teaches us many lessons.  These lessons in sportsmanship and especially patience translate very well into our everyday lives. The mental toughness that it takes to play the game, the only game where there is no down time, teaches us that life is a process and does not resolve itself in an instant. Golf, as in life, changes from shot to shot, and you must play by the rules. The battle is mostly within ourselves and the course, not against someone else or another team.
     One last brief thought, and it kind of ties in with what I have said about my daughter and golf. We men have a tendency to keep this an all gentlemen sport. Those times are over. Women's golf must be encouraged, we need to get more women playing the game.  You can just take a good look at my daughter.  My wife loves the game almost more than I do and I enjoy playing golf with her. Many times I do want to play without her, but we have great fun playing golf together. I don't enjoy playing with my daughter because she hits the ball twenty yards by me.  Come to think of it, so does my wife. I've lost a lot of money in bets to both of them, and not cutting them any slack either.
     That's it for now.  Don't forget to visit my website at http://the-golf-course-travel-bag.com. I am still working on it, but I have made some great progress.  It looks pretty good, if I say so myself. Until next
time, hit 'em long and straight.

Wow, what a swing!  Yes I know it is from the reds, but it went seventy yards past me instead of the normal twenty.