How to attract more players - Or not ?

[User 105]

We've had a number of discussions on this and was just watching Peter Finch's latest YouTube video and it got me thinking.

Do we actually need to attract more players ? i.e. Increase the overall number of players.

I'm mainly thinking about the UK here where the game is well established. Not expanding into new regions.

I can understand clubs wanting more players. More players = More memberships = more money.

And I can understand some areas where some clubs are struggling to keep enough players to keep going, but i only read very occasionally of clubs closing. And that seems to be so the owners can sell to a developer.

Most of the clubs I play at, and have played at, it can be pretty hard to get a tee time already at the weekends.

Might be a bit selfish but I think bringing more players in is actually a bad thing for existing players. I can't see many new clubs opening to accommodate an increase in player numbers, which means existing clubs having more members. More members = less available tee times.

Just to be clear I'm talking about increasing the overall player base. I agree we need to bring in new players to replace people that leave the game.

So do we already have the right amount of players at the moment and we just need to maintain the status quo ?

 

[Salty J]

Would be good to see more younger players & females. I'm new to the game and really do notice the lack of diversity I see. My Mrs has recently started taking beginners group lessons. One thing that's putting her off taking it more seriously is the lack of younger female players.

 

[cliveb]

Perhaps the problem isn't so much too few players as too many courses, meaning each one struggles to survive.
I live in the far south of Hertfordshire, less than a mile from the edge of Greater London. According to my sat nav, within 10 miles of my house (as the crow flies) there are 64 golf courses! I can't see how that's sustainable. Sure enough, one of them (Bushey Country Club) will be closing in April.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Perhaps the problem isn't so much too few players as too many courses, meaning each one struggles to survive.
I live in the far south of Hertfordshire, less than a mile from the edge of Greater London. According to my sat nav, within 10 miles of my house (as the crow flies) there are 64 golf courses! I can't see how that's sustainable. Sure enough, one of them (Bushey Country Club) will be closing in April.

I think there is a lot in this. Most regions have had new courses pop up over the last 20-30 years and golfers are spread too thinly now. The numbers you give are utterly bonkers. Even if my area there are around 6-7 courses within 15-20 minutes of my house and I am in a rural county that is sparsely populated. We could do with a course closing to spread a few golfers to each other club.

 

[Capella]

Every time I am in the UK, I seriously wonder how all those smaller golf clubs survive, to be honest. Maintainence costs can't be that much lower than in Germany. Membership fees ususally are lower than they are in Germany as well and from what I see, clubs have far fewer members (no wonder, since there are so many golf courses around).

 

[dufferman]

I live in Surrey. Granted, next to Scotland it's a very dense golf course area. Even so, getting a tee time isn't always a breeze at the courses which aren't "prestigious".

My home course is often full on a weekend, of both members and Pay and Play golfers. The course closest to me does not do weekend memberships because they have enough revenue for Pay and Play members Sat & Sun.

The 2 courses locally I know that have closed have been for development. Not due to lack of members / golfers.

 

[jim8flog]

At our club I have often said that we may well want more members but we do not want more members that want to play on a Saturday morning and we do not need more seniors that want to play on a Monday morning.

 

[pinberry]

I think you guys are missing the point, and sorry if it does sound blunt. But golf has a demographic problem. Today there are enough players but they are mostly seniors and the juniors are not joining fast enough. Eventually, members will just die and the whole movement will suffer.

Quoting from a a report in the Financial Times, referencing work conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS INC), states that 'in the UK, the average age of golfers is up from 41 in 2009 to 45, while that of 'avid golfers', those who play at least once a week, is up from 48 to 63, according to SMS INC.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

And we are an ageing population, and it's not long before there will be more "oldies" than youngsters. So whilst the arguement for the average age of golfers increasing may be correct, there's going to be more of them able to play.

 

[IanM]

I think you guys are missing the point, and sorry if it does sound blunt. But golf has a demographic problem. Today there are enough players but they are mostly seniors and the juniors are not joining fast enough. Eventually, members will just die and the whole movement will suffer.

Quoting from a a report in the Financial Times, referencing work conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS INC), states that 'in the UK, the average age of golfers is up from 41 in 2009 to 45, while that of 'avid golfers', those who play at least once a week, is up from 48 to 63, according to SMS INC.

That is it in a nutshell.....

Although, golf has traditionally been the sport footballers and cricketers turned to when their knees (etc!) start to wear out. So many "start late." My wife was 45 before she picked up a club....but this cannot be the only source!

Clubs need to extend the Junior Section beyond the "kids of members." We have pros locally going into schools and doing taster sessions with plastic clubs and targets. Get in to Golf sessions for women have proved very popular.

Decent clubs are seen as "out of the reach" of many.... often quite incorrectly. Some clubs don't communicate effectively with their existing membership, so if it came to Marketing "NO CHANCE!"

 

[Doon frae Troon]

For radical change I would make golf courses 12 holes instead of 18.

I have been saying this for the last 15 years but for some reason it seems to go over most folks heads.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

For radical change I would make golf courses 12 holes instead of 18.

I have been saying this for the last 15 years but for some reason it seems to go over most folks heads.

I wouldn't argue against this. Problem is the existing courses are not designed with this in mind. It would be interesting to see if a new course would be bold enough to just build 12 though.

 

[cliveb]

For radical change I would make golf courses 12 holes instead of 18.

I have been saying this for the last 15 years but for some reason it seems to go over most folks heads.

Apart from the traditional "out and in" links, most golf courses tend to be laid out in two loops of nine. There's nothing to stop someone short of time playing just nine holes. Or are you saying that people will want to play more than 9 but less than 18? (I personally want to play 18).

 

[TreeSeeker]

I like to feel that the sport does still attract people, i.e. people know what it is, the general concept and have an idea of if they would like it or not. I feel that its up to clubs to make it clear where they offer decent deals for those who can only play 1-2 times a month.

Last thread like this someone posted a study about nomad golfers actually being quite high if I remember correctly.

 

[duncan mackie]

I think you guys are missing the point, and sorry if it does sound blunt. But golf has a demographic problem. Today there are enough players but they are mostly seniors and the juniors are not joining fast enough. Eventually, members will just die and the whole movement will suffer.

Quoting from a a report in the Financial Times, referencing work conducted by Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS INC), states that 'in the UK, the average age of golfers is up from 41 in 2009 to 45, while that of 'avid golfers', those who play at least once a week, is up from 48 to 63, according to SMS INC.

Not missing this at all, we've debated it on here many times in the last few months!

The alternative view is that it's unrealistic to expect youngsters to continue playing for life even if they do start (but everyone agrees they should be introduced to the game!)
Reduced/intermediate memberships are simply a way to reduce your (golf club or business) income...
More should be done to introduce older people to the game when they have the time (and arguably will benefit from the sporting aspects as well as the social interaction) - and yes this would increase the average age even more!

Increased average age isn't a bad thing at all - it's all a matter of perspective.

 

[ScienceBoy]

To attract younger people golf needs to take less than 4 hours from leaving home to getting back again.

 

[jim8flog]

With my knees I have been saying that golf should be 15 holes a lot lately.

 

[jim8flog]

When I look around our club we have a reasonably healthy mix of ages although maybe a tad short on the under 20s.

I do not think the club would ever go under do to member shortage simply because the over 20s to under 55s will get older and just replenish the over 55s as they die out.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

That is it in a nutshell.....

Although, golf has traditionally been the sport footballers and cricketers turned to when their knees (etc!) start to wear out. So many "start late." My wife was 45 before she picked up a club....but this cannot be the only source!

Clubs need to extend the Junior Section beyond the "kids of members." We have pros locally going into schools and doing taster sessions with plastic clubs and targets. Get in to Golf sessions for women have proved very popular.

Decent clubs are seen as "out of the reach" of many.... often quite incorrectly. Some clubs don't communicate effectively with their existing membership, so if it came to Marketing "NO CHANCE!"

Totally agree. The demographic of the ladies section at my club in particular is definitely over 50 and probably closer to over 60 years old with a very small number in the 30-40 year old bracket and younger than that can be counted on one (two at a push) hand(s). Similarly with the mens section, the average age would be quite high and we're not getting the very young golfers in. Its a problem and we're running taster sessions for ladies and have a decent junior academy running but its breaking down stereotypes and barriers to how many see the game who don't play it