Question - is golf a dying sport?
Well I hope this does not happen, but here is a nightmare scenario. In this ever changing world there are times when things must adapt or die, and golf purists refuse to adapt by trying to make the game more fun for the masses. Once upon a time, golf was a sport only for rich people. Today it is for all people, but I see municipal courses closing because the land is very valuable near cities, so new courses must be built in the boonies, and it is becoming more expensive to play, not to mention the price of gas to get there. What few courses remain near cities are already overcrowded because they are the only places people can afford to play. The pace of play is horrible, so with these factors there is danger that many people might give up the game. If overcrowding gets bad enough, we might have to do what other countries are already doing, and that is to prove that your game is good enough to qualify to be allowed to play at certain courses. This leaves out lots of people who enjoy the game but are not good enough to qualify, which is the opposite of growing the game. As a result, golf may go back to being a game only for the rich, and then it will be even more difficult to grow the game. Today there are admirable programs that are trying to get kids involved, but will these same kids be able to afford to play later on? And when Tiger retires, will anyone else be able to capture the interest of the fans as much? If not, this downward spiral may begin. Prize money will come down, and the popularity of the game will decline. Then more courses might close. Somebody stop me before I start to cry. We need more ideas on how to grow the game, and we need them quick. Insanity is expecting things to get better while you continue to do things the same way.