More Americans Are Giving Up Golf?

[Khan]

I don't golf, but I know many here do.

More Americans Are Giving Up Golf - AOL Body

The number of people who play golf in the U.S. has dropped to 26 million from 30 million since 2000, and those do play are hitting the links less often. The drop is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities like tennis, hiking, biking and downhill skiing, studies show.

Have you noticed fewer people golfing?

 

[Arc]

That would make sense to me - the past few years I've hit a lot fewer people than I used to.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Could be its getting more and more expensive.

 

[saluki9]

Could be its getting more and more expensive.

Not to mention that the business climate is less understanding about 5 hour networking events during the workday.

 

[jambo101]

With the cost of everything going up and the value of what you own going down the usual first casualties of a financial reality check are the toys and expensive hobbies,giving up the golf membership would be an easy way to save a lot of money,

 

[Darryl]

Just like the article stated. The last few years I've noticed playing the nicer resort courses that we had the place to ourselves and I attributed that to folks running out of money.
My finances are holding up just fine and last season I played a pathetic two rounds, just no way to get away from work to go play.

 

[Arc]

Could be its getting more and more expensive.

In my area it is getting ridiculously cheap to join some of the country clubs. Initiation fees and monthly minimums are either eliminated or waived altogether. And it is very common to receive invitations in the mail with even better deals. Even with the reduced expense, just don't have the time to get money's worth. Plus lots of other things to do. Maybe someday!

 

[HFWR]

Those who have witnessed my pathetic attempts at golf often suggest that I give it up. This is usually after applying the ice pack to their injury...

 

[igsoy]

The drop is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities like tennis, hiking, biking and downhill skiing, studies show.

We just took my Dad skiing at a major resort. We only go when he visits us, and we didn't ski at all last year because of the expense and hassle. This year the *discount* lift tickets were $75/day. I remember when they used to be in the high $30s, and that was about 15 years ago. The price has doubled, but I know for sure the median income in this area has only gained about 50% or so in that time. How can an average family possibly afford to spend $250 on lift tickets and $100 eating price gouged food for the day, $40 in gas for the drive, and that is just for a day trip. If you stay over, add $200/night for lodging. If you don't stay over, you have an extra 2 hour traffic jam to sit in on the way home. That gives no consideration for equipment costs, which with kids are a recurring expense as they grow, and of course lessons for the little darlings.

Now, there are plenty of people who will spend money like this and can easily afford it, but there are also those who are finding that when their other bills are piling up, skiing just doesn't add up, anymore. The ski resorts seem to have a shortsighted view with their pricing, high profits now, but there will be less and less in-state families making the effort. 10 years down the road the stockholders won't be quite so thrilled.

 

[freebird5825]

i can't golf anymore. i never used to keep score anyway...too depressing.

re
The drop is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities like tennis, hiking, biking and downhill skiing, studies show.

re are we talking about adults or kids?

 

[bbbamI]

I never golfed, but I did drive the golf cart. I (actually the beer) was very popular.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

interesting because i've found myself watching less golf on tv now as well.

 

[TargaDave]

Can't speak for golf but I thought there have been more bikers (road and mountain) over the last 10 years. Maybe I'm mistaken.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

[threadjack]flat florida has always had lots of roadies but we've definitely more mountain bikers now. lots of technical trails in our parks (which we never had before) with bike clubs to maintain them. i didn't even discover it until about 6 years ago but fell in love at first sight.

though just a bicycle, the technology is relatively new. front suspension (outside of that funky spring i had on my stingray) didn't develop until the 1990s. full-suspension, lightweight materials and disc brakes even later. then even the frames evolved so as to isolate pedaling such that energy is not lost to the suspension system so you move forward instead of just bobbing up and down.

i bought a giant nrs1 the year it was declared bike of the year, cited for utilizing geometry to isolate pedal power (previously they used pins to suspend suspension). it also has hayes disc brakes, the same used by harley, which even have an overflow reservior to bleed the system when it heats up from breaking to keep breaking smooth. this puppy will stop on a dime. as long as you don't endover the handlebars (which i've done--ouch) this thing will stop you right before you head over that cliff.[/threadjack]

what technology has changed lately on the golf course? drought-resistant greens?

note geometry of frame about the rear wheel. the rear shock is further adjusted to control lift as well as compression forces. the front shock is isolated with an easily accessed switch on top the fork.

these breaks are better than most breaks on cars. dual hydraulic disc breaks. woof.

 

[dumpster56]

Sorry but 50 60 or 80 dollars a round just to hit a ball for say 4 hours is not appealing to many anymore. especially middle class american married men with families. That money is much better spent on say Food and Fuel.

 

[Brat]

My husband plays an average of one+ round a week BUT he is retired, qualifies for a Sr discount, buys a punch-card, and plays mid-week on a fantastic municipal course. The only thing that is getting expensive is the gas to drive to the course.

I agree that lots of folks are beginning to rack and rank their expenses, golf will probably be on the cut-back list for many.

Many country clubs are likely to have problems. They were all the rage for the upper-middle income folks in my parent's generation but I don't hear much about them any more. Employer's can't easily write them off as expenses any more, either, particularly if they don't include women and minorities in their membership. Tony athletic clubs have opened up membership just to pay for facilities. One factor, I think, is that with so many two income families with kids in school sports/clubs there just isn't the time to utilize the facilities. Adult clubs that are time vampires will have problems with membership retention.

 

[Jarhead*]

My husband plays an average of one+ round a week BUT he is retired, qualifies for a Sr discount, buys a punch-card, and plays mid-week on a fantastic municipal course. The only thing that is getting expensive is the gas to drive to the course.

I agree that lots of folks are beginning to rack and rank their expenses, golf will probably be on the cut-back list for many.

Many country clubs are likely to have problems. They were all the rage for the upper-middle income folks in my parent's generation but I don't hear much about them any more. Employer's can't easily write them off as expenses any more, either, particularly if they don't include women and minorities in their membership. Tony athletic clubs have opened up membership just to pay for facilities. One factor, I think, is that with so many two income families with kids in school sports/clubs there just isn't the time to utilize the facilities. Adult clubs that are time vampires will have problems with membership retention.

Brat: Last summer I played the public course & the country club course on Whidby Island. (Must get a little rain in the state of Washington, as they were both lush courses).

I'm not interested in recruiting more golfers, (there seem to be plenty of them in my area).

Golf can be incredibly expensive, or the flip side, a pretty inexpensive
obsession.

The public course I play when i'm not out of town on a tournament, costs
$900.00 a year membership. You can play 7 days a week, with no time restrictions. Beautiful l8 hole regulation lay-out.

Of course, when you're raising a family, who has the time to play much?
I didn't for sure.

But since I've been retired, my wife and I both feel that my golfing and fly-fishing has saved a lot of potential therapy.

 

[Jarhead*]

I don't golf, but I know many here do.



Have you noticed fewer people golfing?

A good guess, not only for golf, but all the other activities
listed.

Competition from computers and wide screen tv.

 

[ladelfina]

Golf has a weird cachet. Even in my not-very-old-boy-network of clients.. there was a heavy, unhealthy golf obsession and lots of peer pressure to golf, for some reason.

Last night I was watching some Animal Planet show, where a guy was sent out to capture a crocodile that was

"THREATENING THE LIVES OF GOLFERS". He was hanging out in the water bunker/feature/trap/whatchamacallit. The point of the story is: this was one of something like 600 crocodiles left in existence; it's an endangered species (crocodiles are, alligators aren't). I found that sad and ironic.

So, I won't be too sad if golfers become an endangered species themselves. We might have to be growing food on their "habitat" soon, anyway.

 

[chinaco]

But video game golfing has increased significantly.

 

[donheff]

Hm, I started golfing when I retired after a 40 year hiatus. Took up snow boarding too. And got serious about biking about two years ago. I would have guessed that golf and biking are picking up. On the other hand, maybe the boom in these sports a few years back was just a function of the baby boom hitting it's stride. If most people cut back their physical activities as they approach 50 maybe the boomers petering out is all that is happening.