How Can We Grow The Game Of Golf?

The National Golf Foundation has a new idea for growing the game, one that has a familiar ring to it. The trade group is encouraging our industry to tap “latent” demand – that is, people who have some desire to play golf but haven’t yet acted on the impulse. There are something like 25 million Americans who are either “very” or “somewhat” interested in giving the game a try, the NGF has determined, a number large enough that even a 20 percent slice of it would have a salutary effect on our fiscal health. “They are fresh, optimistic prospects who, if welcomed to the game properly, can become committed golfers on some level,” the NGF believes. The trouble is, golf has never had a problem finding qualified prospects. Our problem is the “welcoming” part, especially as it applies to women and minorities. That’s the one we need to solve.