Saving the future of golf

[jaskanski]

I think a lot of people are confusing lifestyles choices with the fundamentals of golf. You should alter your lifestyle to fit golf, not alter golf to fit your lifestyle.

[avrag]

I see a lot of people who try to solve the OP's problem by skipping the putting part of golf completely.
They can do that, if they want to. But I do not like it, when they act like I am playing slowly, when in fact, I and my three playing partners are on pace for a 3 1/2 hour round, walking.
No kidding, I see more and more poeple (mostly using carts) who simply hit two or three shots, until they reach the green, pick up their balls immediately and head for the next tee. That's not golf. Go to the range, if all you want to do is hit balls.

[puttingmatt]

Nothing stopping the op and his group from quitting
play after 12 holes !!! No need to change holes, course
design, etc... When you reach the 12th green, your done !!!
Saves the rest of the course for golfers who like 18 holes !!!

[mikpga]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1288561994' post='2767966']
I see a lot of people who try to solve the OP's problem by skipping the putting part of golf completely.
They can do that, if they want to. But I do not like it, when they act like I am playing slowly, when in fact, I and my three playing partners are on pace for a 3 1/2 hour round, walking.
No kidding, I see more and more poeple (mostly using carts) who simply hit two or three shots, until they reach the green, pick up their balls immediately and head for the next tee. That's not golf. Go to the range, if all you want to do is hit balls.
[/quote]

Agree with this observation...

I am always shocked at how little time is spent on the greens...

It usually takes our foursome between 4:15 and 4:30 to play a round of golf, that is holing out every shot...

I have seen groups re-teeing shots off the tee and spending more time "hitting shots" instead of playing the game...

They get to the green, give their first putt a stab, and then pick up...

I've seen this trend far too much...

[stage1350]

The bigger issue is not the explosion of golfers, but the explosion of really bad and really slow golfers. Thanks to mandatory carts almost everywhere, those that wouldn't be bothered to walk 18 are getting out and taking their sweet time driving from the passenger's ball to the driver's. When walking or using carts, play is quicker unless there is substantial distance between holes or a lot of hills.

Add to that people that think golf is just an excuse to smoke cigars, get drunk, or do business, and the course comes to a standstill. Morons that won't get off the phone when it's time to hit. Idiots that can barely get back to the cart because they are so intoxicated, and the entitled that think "I paid for it, I'm going to see EVERY INCH of the course" and play from the tips when they should be on the forward tees.

Call it elitism, but you didn't have this problem when there was less traffic on high end courses. The munis were packed. Now, everyone goes to the high dollar courses when they would be better off on a par 3 or muni. Are you a masochist? Pick up if you haven't gotten on the green in 7 strokes and move on.

Cap the whole thing off with marshalls that are afraid to enforce pace of play for fear of losing the revenue stream, and you see why golf is dwindling. I'm looking at a private next year because if I get behind another group of d-bags that can't make the fairway when playing from the tips, someone is going to die.

[ZBigStick]

Affordable private is the answer, but most reasonably priced memberships are courses trying to increase revenue streams. They do so by being semi private or clog the course with endless outings and tournaments.

I need a fake ID to become a Junior member again at an upscale Private.

[dlam]

I still believe two hours for golf is optimal maybe not for 18 hours, but that's what this thread is for.
I like the 6, 12,18 hole increments.

12 holes can certainly be played in two hours!

Whenever I go out with the guys to play hockey we rent the ice time for one hour and that usually enough time.
Whenever we watch a football game, it usually last a couple and half hours with intermission


What cant golf be the same?

I really doubt a player's score is any different playing 12 holes vs playing 18 holes.
18 holes becomes self-indulgent.

Playing 12 holes will make our wives happier, allow guys to go out more often to the course.
.

[Sean2]

Dear Mr. GrapeHunter,

I'm a senior and played 18 holes this morning in 2 hours and 45 minutes...I walked. To make a generalized statement about seniors and slow play is...shortsighted.

[grabthepin]

[quote name='mikpga' timestamp='1288565327' post='2768056']
I am always shocked at how little time is spent on the greens...
[/quote]

I see both extremes here. I agree with your observation when playing in the States. In other countries I've played, and in the States when people do putt out, I see too much time being spent on the greens. Juniors copy the pros and line putts up from every direction and have 10 practice swings, and this craze of aligning the ball to the putting line has people marking balls multiple times en-route to the hole instead of just putting the thing.

[Prairie Golfer]

On a cold windy day I played behind a single female walker this afternoon, time of the round: two hours and two minutes. I think the real problem with slow play are groups of men on the course with the purpose of hanging out with their buddies, getting drunk and goofing off rather than playing golf.

The problem with courses is that the ones built in the boom times were long, expensive, hard, TPC types designed for the four handicapper that turns his nose up at any course less than 7000 yards and ten water hazards. Naturally, all the beginners swarmed into these "new and shiny" courses and most no longer play. What is needed are par 3 courses, executive courses and regulation courses built to handle a lot of rounds, cheaper, not conditioned at Augusta National levels, don't have long forced carries and have green to tee distances of less than a half mile.

Locally, the last two courses to open are par 29s with driving ranges, short game practice areas and simulators for the off season. One course that was an upscale public one in a rural area is now charging $15 for 18 holes walking on a weekday. Going forward, look for some private clubs to go public, others to close, a solid chunk of upscale courses downgrading or closing and par 3s/ executive courses opening and doing well.

[OneBowTie]

Careful what you ask for...... I think golf courses and clubs would love to be able to go to 6,12,18 hole rounds of golf...... I think that a 12 hole round of golf would end up costing what 18 hole rounds cost today...... 6 hole rounds would cost what 9 hole rounds cost today..... and 18 hole rounds probably would cost what playing 27 holes does today.

Ive said it before, I cant get enough golf in. I wish I could play at least 27 and preferably 36 every time I go out and play. Sure I have run into some slow play, but thats just life, we can't always control everything, and like it or not, 4 hour rounds of golf are not the norm anymore. At most golf courses/clubs you will see many postings claiming 4 plus hours is the pace of play.

If you really are constantly getting ticked off every time you go out and play golf about pace of play, you gotta move on to another golf course, why would you expect anything to change at a place that is notorious for slow play.

[Greenie]

I don't understand why 12 or 15 holes. If you don't have time to play 18 then just play 9 holes. I thought every course gave you the option to play 9.
I brought up this topic today with my golfing buddies and we all thought the number of holes should be 20. We never could figure out why only 18. We all said it wouldn't be worth the ride to play 12 holes.
The major problem I see hurting golf is all the poor etiquette I experience on the course. Alot of that results in slow play . Pace of play is a killer for me. We played one round this yr. that took 6 1/2 hrs. People need to be more informed on what is expected of them when out on the course.
Another problem I see to some degree is price. I just can't afford to play 4 times a week like I use to.

[Grapehunter]

[quote name='Sean2' timestamp='1288568647' post='2768142']
Dear Mr. GrapeHunter,

I'm a senior and played 18 holes this morning in 2 hours and 45 minutes...I walked. To make a generalized statement about seniors and slow play is...shortsighted.
[/quote]

There will always be exceptions and I'd venture to guess you are probably a higher caliber player than most other "seniors". Just the fact that you are on these boards participating in an online golf communty already places you in a smaller descriminating group of golfers. I stand by my statement and it's nothing more than my own observations. The fact of the matter is, when your bones and muscles ache (young or old) you will most likely move slower than others. Things like arthritis and broken hips occur more often in older individuals. Fact of life through no fault of their own.

[ibradley]

[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1288564344' post='2768032']
Nothing stopping the op and his group from quitting
play after 12 holes !!! No need to change holes, course
design, etc... When you reach the 12th green, your done !!!
Saves the rest of the course for golfers who like 18 holes !!!
[/quote]

Don't get me wrong. I love playing 18. There have been days I have walked 72 holes in one day. Many days I have walked 54. I walk 36 a day several times each summer. This isn't about me. This is about the fact golf participation among 25 to 44 is dropping dramatically. This is about the lower and lower number of kids taking up the game. This is looking into the future and wondering what golf will be.

The future of golf is not 9 holes. I don't think it is enough. I don't think 12 is enough either. Maybe the correct number is anywhere from 13 to 18. Maybe the future of golf is lots of different courses with having no set standard number of holes. What would be wrong with a 14 hole course? A 16 hole course? Plenty of upsides. Quicker to play. Less expensive to maintain. More potential tee times so potentially less expensive green fees.

[ping rat]

golf is a game of 18 holes, which should take 3.5 - 4 hours to play I would be strongly opposed to any effort to take a sport/past time that has the sense of history and tradition that this game has and try to micro-size it in an effort to generate $'s or make it more appealing to people who have little or no appreciation of what the game is about. I know there is no shortage of people that are quite happy to sit on their a$$ and play video games for 4+ hours. I am a member of a private club and it is not as expensive as some may think if i want to play 9 on the way home from the office to work on my game i can do that, or use the range or putting and chipping greens for less than the price of 6 rounds at a medium priced course per month. golf is not broken so please don't try to fix it, i am pretty sure you will not find much support from anyone beginner to advanced that is passionate about the game.

[78blades]

As earlier pointed out the 25-44 age bracket is smaller, but the big thing that crossed my mind is the "immedate gratification" that our society has. This does not mix well with golf b/c you actually have to work and practice and put in time to improve. And then you have to practice enough to keep the touch & feel. Also I think the "entitlement" atittude showed my many younger ppl is not condusive to learning golf. Lets face it, if you don't like a challenge, aren't a little masochistic and aren't into putting in at least some practice then golf isn't for you.

Personally I find this good news cuz I'm tired of the "Tiger" dweebs. Also one of the reasons I like golf better in the off season; cuz you are out there with other ppl that love the game.

[Greenie]

[quote name='78blades' timestamp='1288583432' post='2768456']


Also one of the reasons I like golf better in the off season; cuz you are out there with other ppl that love the game.
[/quote]


+1 on this comment. Since football started and Fall is here I find it much more enjoyable going out on a Sun mid morning. There are alot less people on the course. The ones there good or bad are there because they love the game. I have far less problems with etiquette with people this time of yr. People this time of yr. playing know about course etiquette and how to be respectful of others out there with them.

[larrybud]

[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288472323' post='2766708']
[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1288470696' post='2766665']
The answer to the poll question is an unequivocal "no". The reason is that courses aren't designed to have the 12th or 15th hole finish at the clubhouse, and nobody is going to build a 12 hole golf course when 17,000 courses in the country already have 18.

Golf isn't any slower now than it was 10 or 20 years ago.
[/quote]

I don't know if golf is any slower now than 20 years ago or not. The point is that societal norms have changed and as a result there is less free time for 5 hour rounds of golf.

As for the 17,000 courses in the country, many of which are struggling, to paraphrase Edwin Roald, if someone walked into your office, at your existing golf facility, and told you that almost overnight by reducing the number of holes you could possibly ...

a)reduce your maintenance costs significantly, which allows you to offer more competitive greenfees and annual fees,
b) shorten the playing time to approximately three hours plus,
c) increase the number of tee-time slots you could sell each day since the last tee-time of the day is pushed back,
d) get a much needed quick cash injection into your business,

Would you listen?
[/quote]

No, because it won't do any of those things. Current golf courses have a fixed land mass, which they will continue to pay taxes on whether someone is playing 12 or 18 holes or whether or not they maintain all 18. To reduce maintenance costs, the course would completely have to eliminate 18 hole rounds, because as long as they have 18 holes, they have to maintain them. With that in mind, nobody is going to do that. The 12 hole course will not be able to compete with the 18 hole course. In addition, even if a course wanted to convert to 12 holes, they're not just going to let the remaining 6 turn into wasteland, especially since you often have adjacent holes (what happens if hole #16 runs between hole 8 and 11??). In order to do so, they'd have to bulldoze and rebuild, not an option for a struggling course.

They can already increase the number of tee times by selling 9 hole tee times, and they can shorten playing time by doing things mentioned in www.popeofslope.com

Many courses are run by crappy business people, and that's why they're failing. The number of simple things that I see a course do that could easily be fixed...

I would also argument against the premise that we have less free time today than 20 years ago. Our world is much more automated now than then. Granted, there are more CHOICES to spend that free time.

[larrybud]

[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288486033' post='2767000']
•Private-club memberships stand at 2.1 million — 900,000 below the peak of 3 million in the early 1990s. (There are 27.1 million golfers in the U.S. now, down from 30 million in 2005, the NGF says.)
[/quote]
Why would someone join a private club to be able to play less golf? Generally golf is included in club membership. And someone isn't going to join a 12 hole club if they want to only occasionally play 12 holes. They'll join an 18 hole club and go play 12, or 6, or 3, or 15, or 18, or whatever they want, because the price is already included.

I hate to be cynical, but I'm wondering what your motives are in pushing this idea?

[randomhero1090]

Participation in sports IN GENERAL is down in the United States. Combine that with a troubled economy, and of course golf is going to see a drop-off in participation.

[ibradley]

[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1288651121' post='2769458']
[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288472323' post='2766708']
[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1288470696' post='2766665']
The answer to the poll question is an unequivocal "no". The reason is that courses aren't designed to have the 12th or 15th hole finish at the clubhouse, and nobody is going to build a 12 hole golf course when 17,000 courses in the country already have 18.

Golf isn't any slower now than it was 10 or 20 years ago.
[/quote]

I don't know if golf is any slower now than 20 years ago or not. The point is that societal norms have changed and as a result there is less free time for 5 hour rounds of golf.

As for the 17,000 courses in the country, many of which are struggling, to paraphrase Edwin Roald, if someone walked into your office, at your existing golf facility, and told you that almost overnight by reducing the number of holes you could possibly ...

a)reduce your maintenance costs significantly, which allows you to offer more competitive greenfees and annual fees,
b) shorten the playing time to approximately three hours plus,
c) increase the number of tee-time slots you could sell each day since the last tee-time of the day is pushed back,
d) get a much needed quick cash injection into your business,

Would you listen?
[/quote]

No, because it won't do any of those things. Current golf courses have a fixed land mass, which they will continue to pay taxes on whether someone is playing 12 or 18 holes or whether or not they maintain all 18. To reduce maintenance costs, the course would completely have to eliminate 18 hole rounds, because as long as they have 18 holes, they have to maintain them. With that in mind, nobody is going to do that. The 12 hole course will not be able to compete with the 18 hole course. In addition, even if a course wanted to convert to 12 holes, they're not just going to let the remaining 6 turn into wasteland, especially since you often have adjacent holes (what happens if hole #16 runs between hole 8 and 11??). In order to do so, they'd have to bulldoze and rebuild, not an option for a struggling course.

They can already increase the number of tee times by selling 9 hole tee times, and they can shorten playing time by doing things mentioned in www.popeofslope.com

Many courses are run by crappy business people, and that's why they're failing. The number of simple things that I see a course do that could easily be fixed...

I would also argument against the premise that we have less free time today than 20 years ago. Our world is much more automated now than then. Granted, there are more CHOICES to spend that free time.
[/quote]

Not all courses would decide to go with less holes. The one that do would most likely be able to re-route in a way that made sense. The land from the dropped holes could be sold, it could be developed, it could become parkland. Every situation would be different. Each course would decide if the economics made sense for them.

How do you increase revenue by selling 9 hole times? All you do is take away the revenue from 18 and sell 9. Not a great model.

You are right. We have more free time than 20 or 30 years ago. Societal norms have changed. It is harder and harder to be away from one's children for a few 5 or 6 hour non-work hour stretches a week.

[ibradley]

[quote name='larrybud' timestamp='1288651624' post='2769467']
[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288486033' post='2767000']
•Private-club memberships stand at 2.1 million — 900,000 below the peak of 3 million in the early 1990s. (There are 27.1 million golfers in the U.S. now, down from 30 million in 2005, the NGF says.)
[/quote]
Why would someone join a private club to be able to play less golf? Generally golf is included in club membership. And someone isn't going to join a 12 hole club if they want to only occasionally play 12 holes. They'll join an 18 hole club and go play 12, or 6, or 3, or 15, or 18, or whatever they want, because the price is already included.

I hate to be cynical, but I'm wondering what your motives are in pushing this idea?
[/quote]

My point is people are not joining private clubs in anywhere near the numbers they used to. Further, younger people are not taking up the game in the numbers they used to. I am looking to the future. How bad will it get for golf? Sports change over time to stay relevant. Perhaps many people would prefer to play 15 hole courses instead of 18. Maybe hard core golfers would play 20 holes a day.

I don't know what the future holds. I have no agenda or personal stake in this. I love golf. I am a member at a private club. I am very fortunate. We rarely play over 4 hours. That said, I have 3 young daughters and I can see it is getting harder to spend my leisure time away from them. When I came across the idea of "Why 18 holes?" it seemed to make some sense to me. I am interested in others opinions.

[Stampa]

[quote name='randomhero1090' timestamp='1288651933' post='2769474']
Participation in sports IN GENERAL is down in the United States. Combine that with a troubled economy, and of course golf is going to see a drop-off in participation.
[/quote]

Agreed. Perhaps if we could unglue our kids from their Xboxes for 5 minutes the game of golf could see some real growth.

[bigred90gt]

[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1288564344' post='2768032']
Nothing stopping the op and his group from quitting
play after 12 holes !!! No need to change holes, course
design, etc... When you reach the 12th green, your done !!!
Saves the rest of the course for golfers who like 18 holes !!!
[/quote]

This. Instead of limiting the options for those who actually want to play a full 18, why not just leave the course after you have finished the number of holes you wanted to play? If you are too busy to play 18 holes, and 9 is not enough to satisfy your urge, nothing is stopping you from heading to the parking lot instead of the #13 tee. To shorten the game for everyone is selfish. Some of us make time to be on the course, and should not be penalized for those who do not choose to do so. If you cannot spend 4-6 hours (round, warm up, and travel time) away from your family, perhaps you should find other hobbies, play 9 holes, or just leave the course when you see fit.

[jaskanski]

[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288663894' post='2769780']
I don't know what the future holds. I have no agenda or personal stake in this. I love golf. I am a member at a private club. I am very fortunate. We rarely play over 4 hours. That said, I have 3 young daughters and I can see it is getting harder to spend my leisure time away from them. When I came across the idea of "Why 18 holes?" it seemed to make some sense to me. I am interested in others opinions.
[/quote]


I don't see why it is necessary to alter golf to fit your lifestyle. If anything, you should alter your lifestyle to fit golf. If you think it's a good idea to reduce a round of golf from 18 to 12 holes, then you're probably wanting to change a baseball match to 5 innings, the indy 500 to 100 and the New York marathon to 10 miles. Make time for your own lifestyle - don't expect the rest of us to sympathize with your lifestyle balance. Any way you want to market it, it does sound like you have an agenda - the thing is, you're looking at a problem that largely doesn't exist.

[ibradley]

[quote name='bigred90gt' timestamp='1288713957' post='2770441']
[quote name='puttingmatt' timestamp='1288564344' post='2768032']
Nothing stopping the op and his group from quitting
play after 12 holes !!! No need to change holes, course
design, etc... When you reach the 12th green, your done !!!
Saves the rest of the course for golfers who like 18 holes !!!
[/quote]

This. Instead of limiting the options for those who actually want to play a full 18, why not just leave the course after you have finished the number of holes you wanted to play? If you are too busy to play 18 holes, and 9 is not enough to satisfy your urge, nothing is stopping you from heading to the parking lot instead of the #13 tee. To shorten the game for everyone is selfish. Some of us make time to be on the course, and should not be penalized for those who do not choose to do so. If you cannot spend 4-6 hours (round, warm up, and travel time) away from your family, perhaps you should find other hobbies, play 9 holes, or just leave the course when you see fit.
[/quote]

This doesn't solve the problem of attracting more people to the game. I don't see the solution to the dwindling number of golfers being people paying for 18 holes and quitting after less.

[ibradley]

[quote name='jaskanski' timestamp='1288718613' post='2770539']
[quote name='ibradley' timestamp='1288663894' post='2769780']

I don't know what the future holds. I have no agenda or personal stake in this. I love golf. I am a member at a private club. I am very fortunate. We rarely play over 4 hours. That said, I have 3 young daughters and I can see it is getting harder to spend my leisure time away from them. When I came across the idea of "Why 18 holes?" it seemed to make some sense to me. I am interested in others opinions.
[/quote]


I don't see why it is necessary to alter golf to fit your lifestyle. If anything, you should alter your lifestyle to fit golf. If you think it's a good idea to reduce a round of golf from 18 to 12 holes, then you're probably wanting to change a baseball match to 5 innings, the indy 500 to 100 and the New York marathon to 10 miles. Make time for your own lifestyle - don't expect the rest of us to sympathize with your lifestyle balance. Any way you want to market it, it does sound like you have an agenda - the thing is, your looking at a problem that largely doesn't exist.
[/quote]

You have some great posts in this thread. You bring up some excellent points. Again, I want to re-iterate this isn't about me. I am happy to play 18 holes. I am also fortunate to have a flexible work schedule, an understanding wife, and am a member at a course where play is almost always under 4 hours.

I think your best arguments are that, golf is shrinking, so what. I think that is a very good point. If the future of golf is far less players and far less courses, does that really matter to those of us who love the traditions of the game and the way it is?

I don't know the answer to this. In a way, I think we have an amazing sport and I would love to have more people be able find the same joy the game brings me. If the game changed so that it was seen as acceptable to have courses that were less than 18 holes would that really be such a bad thing? It's not like all courses would be less than 18 holes.

[swbyps]

I think the stance some have taken with respect to not wanting the "tiger crowd" there anyway or just letting golf go back to what it was...I think there is a point being missed. The hardcore golfers will always be there...to an extent. The problem is, if you dont attract all those other players, then that revenue becomes lost. And if for any of the previously stated reasons that revenue cant be recouped moving forward, thats when you see the scenarios in which you can start to lose even some of the hardcore players. Courses closing and overcrowding at others, increased green fees, course maintenance going to crap, ridiculous membership fees at private clubs, overpriced equipment, etc. All those things cumulatively mayl eventually catch up to even the most avid golfers. I think thats where the danger lies in the state of the game.

[DieHard519]

[quote name='jaskanski' timestamp='1288559834' post='2767924']
I think a lot of people are confusing lifestyles choices with the fundamentals of golf. You should alter your lifestyle to fit golf, not alter golf to fit your lifestyle.
[/quote]

^ +1 on this post. I agree 100%.

[quote name='dlam' timestamp='1288566506' post='2768084']
I still believe two hours for golf is optimal maybe not for 18 hours, but that's what this thread is for.
I like the 6, 12,18 hole increments.

12 holes can certainly be played in two hours!

Whenever I go out with the guys to play hockey we rent the ice time for one hour and that usually enough time.
Whenever we watch a football game, it usually last a couple and half hours with intermission


What cant golf be the same?

I really doubt a player's score is any different playing 12 holes vs playing 18 holes.
18 holes becomes self-indulgent.

Playing 12 holes will make our wives happier, allow guys to go out more often to the course.
.
[/quote]

^ -1 on this one.

Golf can't be the same as football because it's not football or hockey.....IT'S GOLF! It's time spent out with nature in what is basically a park where the pace is far slower than football and there's no clock to tell you when the quarter is over. It's a true test of your coordination and strength of mind. There's a certain amount of strokes it should take to complete, and there lies the reason it's different, and GREAT. It's so difficult!! I myself like this. I don't want to be pressured into having to play only 12/15 holes or what have you. I've played golf for 18 years. Why all of a sudden are people saying let's shorten it and change the game? Ridiculous! Make time or go f*** off, it's a hobby for pete's sake, and one that shouldn't accomodate YOUR schedule.

It's not about your score after 12 holes. I'm sure my score would be the same after 12 holes, as it should because the game is played the same way. The fact that you're saying it's "self-indulgent" is hilarious! Of course it's self indulgent. You're preaching to the wrong choir if you think 18 holes is "self-indulgent". I'd say 90% of people on this site would like to "self-indulge" themselves every single day and do it for a living.

As for taking up less time in the day and making the wife happy.....there are many other ways to make the wife happy, and if she won't let you go out and get some fresh air and exercise on a good walk, SHE'S either selfish, insecure, has no friends, no hobbies or anything else to do. It's not about how much time you spend with your significant other, it's the QUALITY of time spent together. Hell, I know a lot of people who have an extremely loving relationship with their wife and still play 36 holes on the weekend.

I guess it really depends on how passionate you are as a person.

[Ronzo]

Finally found it! The thread was "Golf on the decline?" Here's the post in its entirety -- sorry about the length.

[quote]8thehardway, on Jun 29 2008, 04:25 PM, said:

[size="2"][color="#000000"]When real estate was cheap, life was slow and less demanding and electronic distractions not around, there was a feeder system of miniature golf, pitch and putt, and cheap 9-hole courses that provoked interest and developed basic skills.

Shooting in the 90s was ok, even fun. There were no infomercials or equipment ads to suggest otherwise and pros weren't plastered with logos. In short, golf wasn't that big a deal for the average guy - more a form of skills-based exercise with bragging rights.[/[/color][/size]quote]

[size="2"][color="#000000"]I think the answer really lies here. The feeder system that 8thehardway speaks of has disappeared from the scene. Miniature or Putt-Putt golf was a dating exercise -- but pitch-and-putt is and was where the game could be learned, without it taking a lot of time, being a lot of expense, or being taken too seriously. I was lucky, as a kid; I grew up in Queens, NY, close to pitch-and-putt courses at Flushing Meadow Park and Jones Beach. I first learned to play there, then played NYC munis as a teenager.

In South Florida, the greedhead land developers are trying to buy up courses for more condo canyons, and the Broward County government is trying to put the brakes on. But the political pressure that comes with greedheads and their money is difficult to resist. Absent that, here are my suggestions for increasing the number of real players and developing respect for the game: [/color][/size][list][*][size="2"][color="#000000"]The beginnings: courses should use their practice putting greens to sell the game to beginners. Have a stock of old/cheap putters and range balls for use by casual players to practice putting on lit greens in the evenings. MAKE IT CHEAP. This is the Gillette marketing schema -- give away the razor so that the customer will buy the blades later. Offer it by time on the putting green per person, with a big discount for kids 6 and up. Make sure the parent knows what the rules are, and that they're responsible for their kids' actions and damage. TAKE THE PARENT'S DRIVERS LICENCE and HOLD IT AS SECURITY, and GET THEIR PHONE NUMBER. MOREOVER, COPY THE INFORMATION DOWN and USE IT AS MARKETING INFO. Call them back after their visit and say how glad you were to see them, and how happy you were to see that their kids were so well-behaved. (Defined as: they didn't rip up the turf.) Invite them back. Tell them about your pitch-and-putt course, and how when their kids are old enough to enjoy that, you'd love to see such a lovely family get involved there, too.[/color][/size][*][size="2"][color="#000000"]Setting the hook: offer a nine-hole pitch-and-putt course at a slightly higher rate. THAT NEEDS TO BE LIT FOR NIGHT PLAY, TOO. Keep it simple -- mats for tees, and offer carry mats like the troops in the Middle East carry for a clean lie on every shot. That minimizes the mainetenance headaches. Some good touches are shallow sand bunkers, and a water hazard that automatically returns the ball to a "drop zone" with a mat. Have a sign there that says "add two strokes". Kids must be 9 or over to play -- or, they have to get a lesson in etiquette and basic skills from the staff for $10 to be eligible to play there at age 7 and up. Offer small tournaments for ALL age groups, adults included. Have a blow-mold machine with tokens as prizes for plastic trophies, much like the molding machines at Sea World or the Seaquarium. Kids and adults love using those things.[/color][/size][*][size="2"][color="#000000"]Fighting the fish: Use a driving range to sell starter equipment for all age groups. Don't worry about margins; USE THIS TO SELL CHEAP LESSON PLANS FOR BEGINNERS. $100 for 4 20-minute lessons is about right, with one lesson a short-game playing lesson on the pitch-and-putt course with the "assistant pro", aka the ball pickup guy. Keep the price of the clubs/bag/balls at a touch less than Wal-Mart, and sell only incomplete 6-to-8 club sets (high-loft driver/3 wood, putter, sand wedge, 9, 7, 5 irons, for example, with a bag like the Odyssey Sunday bag with the short-legged stand). DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GO UP THE SCALE. Refer the people wanting more to a big-box golf retailer like a Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy. But tell them what they should be looking to spend.[/color][/size][*][size="2"][color="#000000"]The Course: a nine-hole executive-length, 5 or 6 par 3's with the remainder par 4. Offer two tees on each hole that will provide a different front and back 9, ideally with different pars on a couple of the holes. The holes should have fairly spacious fairways and decent bunkering. Keep it open with the rough mowed to 1 1/2 inches so that balls can be quickly found. Any water hazards should be built with a ball-return feature similar to the pitch-and-putt course. The intent of all of this is SPEED OF PLAY. Use high wire fences to ensure safety on the tee boxes, and make sure the men's and ladies' tees are close together, to encourage dating and married couple play. IMPORTANT: the course manager or owner should be present and visible here, both to act as a marshal, and to skillfully enforce proper golf etiquette and respect for the facility. Lights for night play are a bonus, but they're not essential.[/color][/size][/list][size="2"][color="#000000"]Ultimately, this is a training facility. It is NOT a high-end, daily fee course. Elitists will probably find this horrifying, but the whole concept is one that you GRADUATE to a good daily-fee or municipal course from here, with a sense of proper golf etiquette.[/color][/size]