Golf!!!2!

[DoubleK]

I thought it used to be 50% off?

[prarieboy]

It did used to be 50% off. I had my clubs done twice before.

I was surprised to see the ad for it as I never recieved an e-mail about it this year.

[Lubicon]

Hmm, might be time to regrip the weapons. I was hoping to upgrade to new clubs this year but with the low $CDN and the general state of the economy I'm not sure that is in the cards now, new grips might have to suffice.

[FragileMind]

Looks like VIP has been busy during the off season.Course listings coming soon from Sask to Vancouver Island.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by FragileMind

Looks like VIP has been busy during the off season.Course listings coming soon from Sask to Vancouver Island.

Oh yah? I cancelled mine this year due to $28 oil

[FireGilbert]

Is anyone concerned about a huge decrease in golf popularity? Every time I play it seems like I'm the youngest person on the course by 20 years and I'm noticing clubs massively reducing their membership fees and introducing special rates for those under 40. There also seems to be a trend of courses closing. For example I just learned a public course I play regularly will be turned into a public park within 10 years.

I think it is a combination of the economy removing disposable income, no kids taking up the game, and prime golf course land being more valuable as real estate developments or public space. Any thoughts if this trend will continue or is it just cyclical and golf will be big again in a few years?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Is anyone concerned about a huge decrease in golf popularity? Every time I play it seems like I'm the youngest person on the course by 20 years and I'm noticing clubs massively reducing their membership fees and introducing special rates for those under 40. There also seems to be a trend of courses closing. For example I just learned a public course I play regularly will be turned into a public park within 10 years.

I think it is a combination of the economy removing disposable income, no kids taking up the game, and prime golf course land being more valuable as real estate developments or public space. Any thoughts if this trend will continue or is it just cyclical and golf will be big again in a few years?

I think a big issue is paying $100 for a round with bad course conditions. Considerable slow play with no enforcement by Marshalls.

I never go back to a course if the first round is longer than like 4 hours 20 mins.

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I think a big issue is paying $100 for a round with bad course conditions. Considerable slow play with no enforcement by Marshalls.

I never go back to a course if the first round is longer than like 4 hours 20 mins.

Good point. I think a lot of courses got greedy sending groups out too quickly and I haven't seen an actual Marshall in years. I know 6 hour rounds at Maple Ridge growing up almost turned me off the game and I have far more patience than the kids of today.

Also, I almost forgot how expensive golf is in Calgary. It is one of the only things that is much cheaper in Australia.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Is anyone concerned about a huge decrease in golf popularity? Every time I play it seems like I'm the youngest person on the course by 20 years and I'm noticing clubs massively reducing their membership fees and introducing special rates for those under 40. There also seems to be a trend of courses closing. For example I just learned a public course I play regularly will be turned into a public park within 10 years.

I think it is a combination of the economy removing disposable income, no kids taking up the game, and prime golf course land being more valuable as real estate developments or public space. Any thoughts if this trend will continue or is it just cyclical and golf will be big again in a few years?

It is the number one concern of the golf industry, and they've been trying to find solutions for years, but it is an uphill battle.

The biggest problems for courses are decrease in demand and oversaturation of courses. The biggest problem for players is the difficulty being a large entry barrier, the cost, and time it takes to play.

Pace of play is probably the biggest, because it is a lot easier to forgive the cost if you get a good experience out of it, and I don't know too many people who really enjoy their 5+ hour rounds whether it cost them $50 or $150+. Long rounds drive away people with families, certainly from being anything more than weekend warriors at best. But combine this with cost and there's no wonder it is an old man's game. Who else has the time and money to keep it up?

The big problem a lot of courses are facing is that many of the best options proposed aren't feasible without major renovations, which most can't afford, and there certainly isn't the demand to build new ones. Design in the past few decades has created expensive to maintain courses which make for a lot of operating costs that need to be covered, golfer perception of quality hasn't kept things cheap either. My favorite idea is creating courses in 3 hole loops from the clubhouse. It means beginners don't just need to be at the range trying to get good enough before they tackle a course, but can just play 3 holes (or 6, or 9). The course can also keep green fees reasonable because their options of filling up the course are greatly increased, and can price out better rates for time, sneak people into gaps, etc. Of course this is really just a theory idea, which is a shame, but if we went 20 years in the past I think a lot of courses would have tried to work something like it in. However there are a handful of courses out there that are 12-14 hole courses and have actually been successful. They usually just started as a full 18 course that ran out of money in construction, and eventually somebody just said '#### it' and bought it and opened it up and people liked playing 12 holes. Some courses started selling off parts of their land to cash in, but kept the rest. We might see more of this going forward.

Tee-It-Forward works well, but it requires golfer buy in. One of the bigger culprits of slow play are the mid-to-high handicappers who hit a long, straight drive twice a round and insist they play from the blues or tips. Machismo and ego are not friends to pace of play. If your course has changed all the colours of the tee markers, particularly the forward tees, they're trying to buy into this program as well. Remember, they're the forward tees, not the ladies tees. Men can (and should) use them too.

Getting women to play is key. And it turns out making the game more accessible for women makes the game more accessible to all types of beginners as well. Golf is an intimidating game. It is hard to learn and harder to be mediocre at, and it hasn't done very well appealing to women or late-stage beginners in its history. The more young women you get playing, the more young men will follow. Improving forward tee placement and options is a big first step that most courses should be looking at doing if they haven't already. Golf is tough enough, and most design in the past 30 years only made it tougher for the average golfer, never mind the beginner golfer.

I could go on and on (and I still might), but these are just some of the main points that people have looked at.

[Dion]

There was talk on the radio today that Fox Hollow is open for golf.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Is anyone concerned about a huge decrease in golf popularity? Every time I play it seems like I'm the youngest person on the course by 20 years and I'm noticing clubs massively reducing their membership fees and introducing special rates for those under 40. There also seems to be a trend of courses closing. For example I just learned a public course I play regularly will be turned into a public park within 10 years.

I think it is a combination of the economy removing disposable income, no kids taking up the game, and prime golf course land being more valuable as real estate developments or public space. Any thoughts if this trend will continue or is it just cyclical and golf will be big again in a few years?

The high cost of green fees and the difficulty in getting a tee time on the weekends seems to be one of the major reasons the popularity in golf is deceasing.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Tee-It-Forward works well, but it requires golfer buy in. One of the bigger culprits of slow play are the mid-to-high handicappers who hit a long, straight drive twice a round and insist they play from the blues or tips. Machismo and ego are not friends to pace of play. If your course has changed all the colours of the tee markers, particularly the forward tees, they're trying to buy into this program as well. Remember, they're the forward tees, not the ladies tees. Men can (and should) use them too.

Courses should have starters that ask players what their handicap is and instruct them to play off a certain tee. Educating golfers not to get married to their golf balls when they lose it off the tee would help also. Too much time is waisted looking for a lost ball.

[Frequitude]

Hey boys. I'm headed to Maui in May for my wedding and will want to get a round in. The group of 6 will range from a scratch golfer to me who's about a 20-25 handicap.

I've been doing some research and while the Plantation Course sounds pretty cool, it's probably a tad unnecessarily expensive (and windy if I'm reading it right). We're staying in Wailea so the Gold or Emerald course seems to make sense. I really have no idea though. Any advice?

[CarlLester]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Hey boys. I'm headed to Maui in May for my wedding and will want to get a round in. The group of 6 will range from a scratch golfer to me who's about a 20-25 handicap.

I've been doing some research and while the Plantation Course sounds pretty cool, it's probably a tad unnecessarily expensive (and windy if I'm reading it right). We're staying in Wailea so the Gold or Emerald course seems to make sense. I really have no idea though. Any advice?

If you want to play a course that you can see the pros play on TV, go to the Plantation. But, if you guys just want to play golf, the Gold at Wailea is a great course. If you want to make a day of it, hop on the ferry and go over to Lanai. If cost is an issue, make sure to check out the twilight rates (which sometimes start early afternoon) to save some bucks. Have fun!

[newts]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Hey boys. I'm headed to Maui in May for my wedding and will want to get a round in. The group of 6 will range from a scratch golfer to me who's about a 20-25 handicap.

I've been doing some research and while the Plantation Course sounds pretty cool, it's probably a tad unnecessarily expensive (and windy if I'm reading it right). We're staying in Wailea so the Gold or Emerald course seems to make sense. I really have no idea though. Any advice?

I've played all 3 Wailea courses as recently as last December.

Gold: This is the most difficult of the 3 courses. They used to hold a senior skins game here.

Emerald: More of a resort course feel vs. Gold, but still an excellent track and a good challenge.

Blue: This is the oldest course out of the 3, and will be the least expensive. Good course, less challenging than the other 2.

Emerald & Gold operate out of the same place, and there is a driving range. There is no range at Blue, and the clubhouse here recently moved further North towards where you drive into Wailea (where the Piilani Hwy ends).

Blue will be the easiest to get on. Gold & Emerald are more in demand, but you shouldn't have a problem getting a time.

The nice thing about this side of the Island is there is less wind than where the plantation course is. I played the plantation course and it was very windy. If I were you, I'd play Gold or Emerald and not make the drive to plantation. Save a few bucks. These 2 courses are beautiful, and I enjoyed playing them as much as Plantation.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Dion

The high cost of green fees and the difficulty in getting a tee time on the weekends seems to be one of the major reasons the popularity in golf is deceasing.

For me that is the big one, especially around Calgary. Expense account golf has driven the price too high for most regular people and it's tough to get a tee time. And when you do you they push you through on 8 minute spacings ow whatever and then have the Marshal hound you to keep up the pace which just makes for a very unenjoyable round.

I really want to get my son into the game and he's not a bad golfer as it is but it is really tough to get the two of us (or worse yet the entire family) out for a reasonable price and onto a course where you don't feel overly pressured to rush along. I don't need a super fancy course and to be honest those are the ones that slow you down anyway (lots of sand, water, tight fairways etc) but i do want to be able to give my son 10 seconds of advice without someone breathing down my neck to hurry up, or to spend 30 seconds looking for that ball that rolled off the fairway.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

For me that is the big one, especially around Calgary. Expense account golf has driven the price too high for most regular people and it's tough to get a tee time. And when you do you they push you through on 8 minute spacings ow whatever and then have the Marshal hound you to keep up the pace which just makes for a very unenjoyable round.

I really want to get my son into the game and he's not a bad golfer as it is but it is really tough to get the two of us (or worse yet the entire family) out for a reasonable price and onto a course where you don't feel overly pressured to rush along. I don't need a super fancy course and to be honest those are the ones that slow you down anyway (lots of sand, water, tight fairways etc) but i do want to be able to give my son 10 seconds of advice without someone breathing down my neck to hurry up, or to spend 30 seconds looking for that ball that rolled off the fairway.

What course around Calgary have you ever had a Marshall hound you?

[darklord700]

The last surge of Golf's popularity was due to the emergence of Tiger breaking down the barrier. Nowaday youngsters still see the game as elitist or even snobbish with quaint traditions. What I hope we'll see is to reduce the game to only 12 holes. 18 hole takes half a day to play with warm up and that's just far too long and I think Nicklaus or some legends suggested the same thing as well.

[united]

Everyone talks about marshalls but has any marshall in the history of golf made a difference? I've never had a marshall tell a group I've been part of to hurry up - so I really don't know - but if one did he/she would be outright ignored, and I imagine that is the usual treatment they get. I'm not saying be a jerk about it, but I picture "okay we'll speed it up" *nothing changes*.
I always thought of them as just giving a job to a semi-retiree for the sake of optics.

I have had marshalls ask how the pace of play is and my answer is always the same: "It's fine! Great weather, wonderful game, good friends...what's the rush to finish and get home to sit on the couch?"

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Weitz

What course around Calgary have you ever had a Marshall hound you?

Water Valley, Sirocco and D'Arcy Ranch all have marshalls that 'help' move pace along.