Is the game dying?

[golfinseb]

Re: Is the game dying?

Golf costs to much, with the increase in price of housing, etc, there is no extra left to "play" with.

When I do manage to get out, it's always on weekends when the course is crowded and the playing times to slow. To play midweek I would need to take time off work which would greatly increase the cost to play.

[Arthur Dailey]

Re: Is the game dying?

"Golf courses and cemetaries, the biggest wastes of real estate". My tip of the cap to Harold Ramis.

Golf companies, courses, etc misjudged the demand for golf, just as Nike misjudged the demand for hockey equipment.

Nike bought Bauer/Canstar because they believed that hockey was going to explode in popularity. Instead over the past decade the numbers have declined and Nike eventually sold at a huge loss.

The golf industry believed with Tiger's emergence that golf would also explode in popularity. It did experience a growth, but many of those who watch Tiger on television tried the game for a while and quit. At the same time the industry drastically increased the cost by building extravagant top end courses and constantly introducing newer and more expensive equipment.

No longer can you buy a 'starter' set of Northwesterns, Dunlops or Campbells and a box of Canada Cup or Kro-Flite balls and go hack away at a 'championship' course where a round might cost $30.

The downturn in the economy didn't help. And as we 'boomers' who grew up believing that a membership to a club epitomized success start to fade away things may become even worse.

[nomullies]

Re: Is the game dying?

I have a great wife so time is not the issue. The reason my round count has declined from 40 to 30 to 15 to 2 to 1 in the last 5 years is solely due to cost.

With a family and a ton of other expenses always around the corner, I found myself standing in the fairway, usually around the 7th or 8th hole thinking: "this is money that could be better spent".

Golf was an oasis for me. From the time I pulled into the parking lot until the time I walked into my front door, I never had a moment of stress and my thoughts were clear of the daily grind. In the last 3 golf seasons, I cannot think of anything other than the money as I stand over every shot. It truly sucks as I recall the good times when being on a course was paradise.

I never got to 40 but am regularly at 15-25 rounds, including two weekends with the boys. I never go out unless it's a golfnow type deal and during the week. Gave up weekends a long ago. The beer prices are stupid high. Kind of like the Air Canada Centre.

I'm finding fewer people to play with due to the cost. I make a decent living but still find the cost a hard pill to swallow. My two kids are grown up now and have no interest. I did try. The thought of spending several hours on a course never appealed to them.

I can see myself giving it up but can't completely pin down why. It isn't just the cost or the 5 hour rounds.

[laps]

Re: Is the game dying?

My wife and i both enjoy golf, me more than her. I was a ClubLink member at first, ten she joined, then our two teenagers. We dropped out in reverse order. Not because of ClubLink, it was a great organisation and I recommend it highly. For my wife it was the time that it took to play golf. She would prefer nine to 15 holes - and be out for no more than two hours, plus travel time. I prefer that as well, but on a nice day liked to be out for 18 holes - not more. So for her membership was a waste of money, so she dropped out and we thought that it would be cheaper to pay guest fees when she played with me. It did not work out that way - we went from playing nine holes 30 times per year to playing five times. I like doing fun things with my wife, so I was not playing as much and dropped out as well. Last year I was not a member and got out maybe eight times. Moving to Ottawa from the GTA was also a factor in our reduced golf play - many of our other recreational activities are more accessible in Ottawa. We thought that lower cost round in Ottawa would get us out more, but it did not.

Bottom line is that for us and our friends, the main factor for reduced spending on golf was time and not cost.

[Bluefan75]

Re: Is the game dying?

"Golf courses and cemetaries, the biggest wastes of real estate". My tip of the cap to Harold Ramis.

Golf companies, courses, etc misjudged the demand for golf, just as Nike misjudged the demand for hockey equipment.

Nike bought Bauer/Canstar because they believed that hockey was going to explode in popularity. Instead over the past decade the numbers have declined and Nike eventually sold at a huge loss.

The golf industry believed with Tiger's emergence that golf would also explode in popularity. It did experience a growth, but many of those who watch Tiger on television tried the game for a while and quit. At the same time the industry drastically increased the cost by building extravagant top end courses and constantly introducing newer and more expensive equipment.

No longer can you buy a 'starter' set of Northwesterns, Dunlops or Campbells and a box of Canada Cup or Kro-Flite balls and go hack away at a 'championship' course where a round might cost $30.

The downturn in the economy didn't help. And as we 'boomers' who grew up believing that a membership to a club epitomized success start to fade away things may become even worse.

Actually Nike bought Canstar in the hopes that inline skating would explode. It was not a hockey decision.

[jefflin]

Re: Is the game dying?

Can't really add any new points to this thread that hasn't already been stated. I only have my personal experience to express.

Started golf mid 90's after university. I had money and time and was hooked on the game. Then Tiger came into the mix and soon GolfTown. I was golfing every week, sometime times twice, once in a while 3 times. Got married, bought a home, that didn't slow me down but I was finding that many of my friends were not golfing as much as they too were getting married and having kids. Job moved downtown, having hard time getting to the course and only played during the weekends. Weekends packed and would take a good 6 hours of travel and playtime to finish a game. Had kids. bought another car, finances cut my playing time to once a month (if that). Bought myself a toy car. Its my hobby I can go to whenever I have available time which to me is sporadic. I can either spend and hour or many hours on the car something I can't do with golf. During the years I have also notice golf courses and practice ranges closes to accommodate real estate. This is a huge hurdle for the many young people that have opted to not own a car.

Will I golf much this year? I might as the girls are now older but probable only at par 3's and/or 9 holes due to finances and time. The only person I know who is crazy about golf is unmarried and still living with his parents.

[gatsby]

Re: Is the game dying?

Being a Senior and a member of a club here in Fredericton in which, the most expensive club membership is below 2000.00, and 3 are below 1000.00, there are a lot of senior golfers, not so many younger men and few young women. The problem with the demographics, most seniors are not indulging in the lastest equipment are content to play with additions in a club or new balls, spend money on travel to other places where they play inexpensive golf courses. We have a club on the northside that has not been completed in 10 years after being laid out and a suburb grown around it. It may never be completed. All of the clubs find their morning tees are filled and after noon, you can walk on and begin at them except for mens night. Definitely not dead but declining.

[Maxwell]

Re: Is the game dying?

In southern Ontario since 1995, green fee's have ,"gone through the roof". They have gone up at least 400% . How can young people or even middle aged people,"afford" green fee's? Owners of golf courses have no one to blame for the loss of golfers,"than themselves". Golf equipment too has gone through the roof. Everythings made in China at $2.00 an hour and corporations have for the last 30 years been making money hand over fist but those days are coming to an end. One shaft worth several hundred dollars? A club head worth the same...come on. It's short term greed by the golf club manufacturers and it's to the game of golfs detriment.
Max

[borgore23]

Re: Is the game dying?

In southern Ontario since 1995, green fee's have ,"gone through the roof". They have gone up at least 400% . How can young people or even middle aged people,"afford" green fee's? Owners of golf courses have no one to blame for the loss of golfers,"than themselves". Golf equipment too has gone through the roof. Everythings made in China at $2.00 an hour and corporations have for the last 30 years been making money hand over fist but those days are coming to an end. One shaft worth several hundred dollars? A club head worth the same...come on. It's short term greed by the golf club manufacturers and it's to the game of golfs detriment.
Max

They can charge whatever they please. They are the ones doing the R&D, they are the ones putting themselves on the line and they all started from nothing to become what they are today, it doesn't happen overnight. If you don't like the prices of new equipment wait a year and get it for half as much. It is not "coming to an end" as you put it and it will never be at the end. They will continue to charge as much as they can and make as much as they can. I'm not sure how you can blame them, the point of a business is to make money, not ask as little as you can so you just scrape by.

Edit: there aren't many things in this world that cost the same as they did in '95.. Not sure why you're shocked that golf is the same.

[blackout]

Re: Is the game dying?

LOL a lot of golf "nuts" who don't even play anymore in this thread

[golfinseb]

Re: Is the game dying?

It's not so much not playing at all, but playing a heck of a lot less than we (or more accurately I) used to. I used to have a membership, and play every 2-3 days, now I am lucky to play 5 rounds a year.

[ginrin]

Re: Is the game dying?

The dynamics of society has changed and golf hasn't.Time is off the importance and I've mentioned to my friends on numerous occasion the guy that builds a spectacular 9 hole course will be the busiest course in the city.It just takes too long to play.

[Coleslaw]

Re: Is the game dying?

In light of green fees constantly on the rise, I'm very close to pulling the trigger on an intermediate membership at Flamborough Hills this year. $1300 for unlimited golf, 7 days a week. If I use an average of $60 for 18 holes, I just need to play 22 rounds to be "up". That isn't even once a week from May 1st - Oct 31st. Being that I live 5min from the course I'll be there easily 3 days a week, and sometimes likely more.

I must be one of the few actually planning on playing more this year.

[The McCleery Crow]

Re: Is the game dying?

I must be one of the few actually planning on playing more this year.

I plan on playing more this year. Hoping to get back above 30 rounds. But I don't own a car and that makes it tough living right downtown. If I could get club storage and pay about $2000-2500 for the year I'd get a membership and ride my motorcycle to play 50+ rounds. But these are more Ottawa prices than GTA.

The closest public courses to me are Lakeview, Don Valley, Humber Valley, Tam O'Shanter and Remington Parkview. The only one I know of that has club storage is Don Valley so it looks like that will be my home track. Which is fine I guess. It's tough to have it all.

[Arthur Dailey]

Re: Is the game dying?

Actually Nike bought Canstar in the hopes that inline skating would explode. It was not a hockey decision.

You are partially correct in that they did predict a major increase in inline and roller hockey. However that was only one aspect. There were a few other organizations with a major presence in inline/roller equipment that they could have purchased for a much lower price than Canstar.

Nike predicted that participation in ice hockey would not just take off in the USA but also in Europe. They wanted the cache that the Bauer/Cooper brand names had in ice hockey.

Neither of their predictions happened. And much like golf equipment manufacturers, Nike inflated the price of equipment, while offshoring its production and spending massive amounts on marketing.

There is actually quite a bit of academic research into this as despite their promises when purchasing Canstar, Nike moved to offshore production and close the Canadian manufacturing facilities.