Vital Signs, july 22, 2016

     Over the next three to five years, will golf become more popular or less popular? The forecast, according to 72 top industry executives surveyed by the National Golf Foundation, isn’t particularly encouraging, as the majority of respondents think golf’s level of popularity will remain about where it is today. The NGF provides no hard data in the wrap-up story on its polling, but it says that “slightly more than half” of the corporate leaders predict “about the same,” while “slightly less than half” predict “more popular.” When the question turns to players and rounds, the responses are similar. About half of the respondents, the NGF says, expect more of what we currently have, while the rest are “biased towards growth.” I view such results as a disappointment and a cause for concern, but the NGF appears to believe that they indicate progress.

     Golf Get Ready may be finding its groove. Last year a record number of adults, virtually of them newcomers to golf, participated in the PGA of America’s eight-year-old grow-the-game initiative. Here’s the story: Get Golf Ready programs in the United States attracted 107,485 players in 2015, an increase of 9 percent over the number enrolled in 2014. Some relevant details from a progress report indicate that 66 percent of the participants were women, 39 percent had never previously played golf, and 24 percent were people from what’s been described as “multi-cultural backgrounds.” These are all positive results. The bigger picture, though, is that Get Golf Ready has had two consecutive good years. If my math is correct, roughly 44 percent of the 465,000 people who’ve taken part in the program since it was established in 2009 were counted in 2014 and 2015. Get Golf Ready still has a long way to go, but it’s on a promising trajectory.