The state of golf’s game is strong
Join the Club by John Patrick
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For the last 24 months, the state of professional men’s golf has been in disarray. LIV Golf upended the PGA Tour’s apple cart, and the tour has been struggling to find its footing. Now we have a shorter season, larger purses, signature events, and even TGL. And still, the divide remains. If there’s an end in sight, the principals are not sharing that with us.
But let’s make a distinction between the sport of golf and the game of golf. The game of golf is what you and I play. It’s thriving!
Last week, at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the movers and shakers of the golf community gathered. It was the event’s highest attendance in 15 years, with 33,000 golf industry professionals from 94 countries and all 50 states meeting with more than 1,000 participants and vendors at the show.
Reports are that the golf industry will be a $102 billion business in 2025. That’s billion with a B.
The game that we play has seen tremendous growth in the last five years. As bad as COVID was, it was a godsend to the golf industry. Golf was one of the few ways people could get outside during COVID, and they did, in record numbers. Roughly 1-in-7 people played golf in 2022. That same year, 48% of golf participants (on and off the course) were between the ages of 6 and 34. Things like “Full Swing” on NETFLIX, Top Golf, Pop Stroke and more are bringing an increasingly diverse group to the game – younger, more women, and more people of color.
So, keep all of this in mind when you hear the talking heads complain about the future of the game. They’re talking about the professional game, and specifically, the men’s professional game. They are not talking about what you and I do, and that’s getting together with family and friends for a round of golf. Keep playing and keep enjoying.