It’s Not About Time
I used to get sucked into the common misconception that golf’s failure to grow–ever–has been related to the fundamental of time. I used to harp on the fact that the XYZ generations increasingly parse their time into smaller and smaller segments and an 18 hole round of golf just doesn’t fit their lifestyle.
I also harped on–and this is totally true–the cancer of slow play and golf’s pathological bent on building seven thousand yard fields of terror designed to put the manliest of men into the fetal position–for hundreds of dollars.
Set aside slow play–that’s another topic. And, sorry Mr. N., the solution isn’t the twelve hole course (or the 30 second minute waltz).
Let’s get back to time. This won’t take long:
—A quick Google search of multiple sources indicates that the average American video gamer spends between 7.6 and 12.39 hours per week playing. No comment on how these numbers can be so definitive when so disparate.
—There are loads of different data but I’ll hang my hat on Americans averaging 21 hours per week watching TV (other studies say more).
—Users of social media are said to spend 17.5 hours per week.
—The average Cabela’s customer spends 3 hours on each visit.
Folks, golf’s inability to grow isn’t about time. It’s about experience. That’s why TopGolf, PopStroke, and simulator golf are killing it while golf in the traditional sense remains the moat-guarded stone citadel of the closed-minded.