Is golf becoming a victim of his own success ?

[golfbluecustard]

Q'd 20 mins to get on the local 30 bay range yesterday and it could of easily been double that it I'd waited this morning

I can go for an hour in the day during the week but evenings and weekends are getting to the point of being pot luck / off limits - unless the range starts letting you book slots?

I'm genuinely all for golfs popularity but wonder how it's going to cope with its new found success ? Or whether we'll get to winter and some of this will of all calmed down?

GBC

 

[Crazyface]

It's already calmed down. Loads of tee times available at my place, not at weekends though.

 

[Grizzly]

I'll offer a slightly different take on the same question - how will golf keep hold of these new converts when the inevitable financial pressures of having to cover the cost of the last and next six months arise?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...to OP question - I very much doubt it. As @Grizzly notes - keeping newbies is the challenge.

 

[golfbluecustard]

I'll offer a slightly different take on the same question - how will golf keep hold of these new converts when the inevitable financial pressures of having to cover the cost of the last and next six months arise?

Really good point this range is £ 9 per 100 balls and evenings / weekends is packed

Even going twice a week quickly adds up and you could easily be spending £ 70 - £ 100 a month which may or may not be sustainable

For our local range they ll need to start introducing a booking system like seemingly every other industry right now is, and probably have a membership system that brings the price down but as It stands they can charge what they charge and are still full

GBC

 

[patricks148]

the local range here installed sims in each bay, its packed most days, before this it was usually empty most of the time. Range isn't really the same thing pop down with a couple of mates whack 100 balls done in 30 mins

 

[golfbluecustard]

the local range here installed sims in each bay, its packed most days, before this it was usually empty most of the time. Range isn't really the same thing pop down with a couple of mates whack 100 balls done in 30 mins

One side of our range has sims in, both sides are packed, but the advert of groups having beers while wacking balls is exactly the case, whereas like you It was effectively empty before

My 20 year old and his pals will go down there, which is great, and it's led a few of them to going on their small 9 hole course as well which not sure they would of done otherwise? But when they can't get on the range they'll very quickly move onto another interest

GBC

 

[Bunkermagnet]

My 2 nearest ranges are booking only with 1 hr time slots. We have also had 2 ranges close in the last 18 months before Covid was a dream somewhere

 

[Swinglowandslow]

In my neck of the woods, there are two public ranges . One has had the Trackmsn thingy installed, the other is just mats and practice.
The first started to get rammed soon after Trackman, and it became clear to me that many ( a lot, kids) were using it as a game as opposed to golf practice.
Fair enough, there may be some progression to golf itself, but I don't think there will be much.
It certainly doesn't attract me there anymore.

 

[Grizzly]

You say that but, amongst the dozen or so golfers that form my cricket club "society" nine came to the game via Topgolf...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Booked a slot at my nearest range (no Toptracer) via their online booking system for 2.00 yesterday. Got there at 1.55, checked in and said I was in Bay 7. Told they aren't booking bays so just go find an empty one. All in use so had to wait for 15 minutes. Seemed a pointless exercise. Have fired a snotty email to the range and parent company

 

[Chico84]

I wish my range was taking bookings but it usually requires at least fifteen minutes and sometimes oven an hour of queuing in the evenings. I’m all for people taking up the sport but I’m put off going to the range now as I don’t fancy standing in the rain for hours. The only guaranteed way is to book a lesson but that’s a slightly expensive way to do it!

 

[larmen]

It's weekend, lots of people want to play golf, but the weather doesn't let them. That's why the ranges are full today and yesterday. This should get better once the weather improves again and people stand on the tee and not in a bay.

 

[Marshy77]

Be interesting to see how much longer courses keep the extra £5-15 more they've put on normal green fees too. Since lockdown eased the majority of courses close to me have increased fees. I understand they need to recoup lost (potential) revenue but when you're paying £30 for a standard £20 course and the course in worst condition than pre Covid is starts to affect your views on certain clubs unfortunately.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Be interesting to see how much longer courses keep the extra £5-15 more they've put on normal green fees too. Since lockdown eased the majority of courses close to me have increased fees. I understand they need to recoup lost (potential) revenue but when you're paying £30 for a standard £20 course and the course in worst condition than pre Covid is starts to affect your views on certain clubs unfortunately.

Good reason not to play these courses as visitors then.

 

[Sats]

The other question is the driving range over regular golf. Often at my local range there are people that just come to smash a bucket of balls and have no actual interest in playing golf. Could this just be people loving the stress release of hitting balls. We all have met those people whom state they only go to the driving range.

 

[patricks148]

The other question is the driving range over regular golf. Often at my local range there are people that just come to smash a bucket of balls and have no actual interest in playing golf. Could this just be people loving the stress release of hitting balls. We all have met those people whom state they only go to the driving range.

yes, ive a couple of mates down south who used to reg go to top golf and hit balls, no interest in golf or setting foot on a golf course

 

[sunshine]

Given the torrential rain over the weekend, I don't think Saturday is a good indicator of normal range demand. I went to my local range on Saturday afternoon and it was heaving, but that's only because the rain closed my course. I'm sure a large percentage were only there for the same reason as me.

As the weather deteriorates towards winter, many newcomers will drift away.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I have certainly seen an uptick at the par 3 over the last two months, I expect it to drop off as usual now Autumn is here.

Golf needs to be looking ahead to next spring, only then can we judge if golf is a victim of its own success or its own saviour.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The other question is the driving range over regular golf. Often at my local range there are people that just come to smash a bucket of balls and have no actual interest in playing golf. Could this just be people loving the stress release of hitting balls. We all have met those people whom state they only go to the driving range.

I have no problem with that. My issue was purely booking a slot and effectively taking pot luck. No sign of cleaning down any bay so doesn't tick too many boxes. At least the one at Ascot will come and spray each bay down once it's empty