It is difficult to imagine a fringe sport like footgolf becoming more popular than the game it was born to complement. That said, it is equally hard to imagine golf existing in its traditional form - expensive and difficult, which equals not overly fun - into the distant future. Whatever changes must occur to keep the game solvent, rest easy, Golf 20/20 is on top of it and soon will unveil (yet another) solution to save the game.
The demographic carrying golf - 65 and older - won't be around forever, and those coming up behind them are not embracing the game in the same manner. While the number of golf courses is declining and, according to many industry experts, will continue to do so for several more years, those properties allowing footgolf - and other non-traditional golf-related activities - is increasing at an equally astonishing rate.According to a paper by Golf 20/20's millennial task force, a 12-person team created to increase awareness, interest and participation in golf among millennials, there are several reasons why the game is attractive to those age 18-34, such as lifelong lessons of etiquette, sportsmanship and fairplay, but there are many others, few of which have much to do with traditional golf.
There also are several reasons why golf is not attractive to millennials, namely a snobby atmosphere (especially toward newcomers), cost, time and difficulty, all of which are magnified by longer courses and balls that fly farther - even if that is left or right of the target.
Somewhere, something has to give, and right now it looks like the five-hour, 18-hole round is at the top of the list.
Oh, sure, private clubs, resorts and many of the high-end daily fees (if there is such a thing anymore) probably will be safe. But the types of courses where many people learned the game and that are critical to attracting new players - muni courses, nine-holes and low-end daily fee - continue to face an uncertain future.
The Golf 20/20 millennial task force offers a host of suggestions to make golf facilities more millennial friendly. They are broken into the segments, prior to arrival, on site and post-visit. These include enticements like a mobile-friendly web site, social media presence, accommodations that allow golfers to listen to music on the course, footgolf, special events that center on social activity and more.
These changes appear to be attracting footgolfers (that game now is played on 450 courses in 48 states and Washington, D.C.) but don't appear to be a game that is translating into paid rounds. So, where are the millennials who are going to save golf?
The game lost 1.3 million players in 2013 and 2014. One million of them were aged 7-34, including 700,000 millennials. Only the 65-and-older set gained golfers. Not exactly a recipe for long-term success.
A total of 510 courses have been built since 2006 and 1,503 have closed. That's a net loss of 993 (in 18-hole equivalents) in a decade. Industry analysts predict another 1,500 (net) or so still must close to find supply-demand equilibrium in the current economy.
The 22 million people playing golf today are the least since the mid-1980s, begging the question "Where are tomorrow's golfers going to come from?"
Just about everyone with a cash register in this business is asking that question. No one, it seems, has the answer.
The problem with golf is not a lack of wifi in every cart. The problem with golf is that it is not affordable and it is not fun. Courses, clubs and balls made for heavy hitters, make for a difficult game and contemporary maintenance standards have made it too expensive. Five hours, 7,000 yards, scores north of 100 and an uninviting golf shop atmosphere is no way to attract a generation that is defined by its need for immediate gratification.
So until millennials start turning out in droves, like Golf 20/20 insists they will, save the wifi-enabled carts and make golf fun again.