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San Mateo County Times Rant

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Dan Kelly:

--- Quote from: Gib Papazian on May 10, 2005, 12:29:49 PM ---Dan,

At Redan Hills GC, we judge our members on their love and respect for the game, not ability to spend NASDAQ money.

 ;)

--- End quote ---

Gib --

I got that.

I'm still confused, though: Seems to me you're judging members (or, rather, former members) on their willingness to COLLECT NASDAQ money.

But, then again, I'm no expert on prostitution!

Dan

Gib_Papazian:
redanman,

"at least" twice. . . . .

John Keenan:
One issue that has always made me curious is, so total rounds played is not growing should I care.

I would assume that some people take it up while other drop it so the total remains fairly static. Now if I were a club manufacture that should should be ok as the new folks would buy clubs so my sales would grow. A course owner same situation. Country Club are joined for reasons beyond golf yet golf is a key item.

I played a lot of tennis in college and I sadly watched the almost death of that great sport. Was it due to the migration to the serve and volley game? Was it due to the lack of an "hot" American player? I don't know it could also be an age issue as we get older tennis is much tougher to keep up with.Hopefully golf is not heded down the same path. I think not as the ruling bodies in Golf for all there oddities are far better than the groups that rule tennis.

Just my idle musings


 

Gib_Papazian:
John,

I'll try to dig up a piece I did a few years back comparing tennis and golf. I think the tennis craze died off because the sport is too confining. I mean, let's face it, tennis is ping pong on a larger scale. Unless you are playing on grass, it all looks the same. Plus, it is not a terribly social game. The idea is to "beat" your opponent on the other side of the net. Life is too confrontational as it is.

I might have a different opinion if I could play on those lovely grass courts I see at the older east coast clubs, but barring that, I don't see the attraction.

Plus, tennis is a less expansive subject. A website like this could not exist in your sport - if that is still your main activity. There is only so much to discuss because the field of play is two-dimensional and static.

We *should* care if interest in the game stagnates because the next step is downward. It is sad, but after the craze of the 1970's, nobody but nobody cares about tennis anymore. Too bad, but that is the fact.

The reasons stated in my column are undermining the game of golf. That might not inflict any pain on over-crowded courses near the major Met areas, but some of the best layouts in America are in remote areas and get their support as part of the spillover from the population centers.

John Keenan:
Gib,

Yes I agree that if the chance exsists that if the game does not grow we will become like tennis. That is a very bad fate. But tennis lost players millions of them and for a variety of reason. I fully agree that tennis lacks many of the items that makes golf such a great game. You did an excellent job in listing many of them.

Golf has a solid following and sadly this is,to some degree, the upside of advanced technology in clubs and balls that at times is disparaged on GCA. Clubs that are easier to hit allow new players to enjoy the game much earlier. As with most things in life there are two sides to even the technology issue.  

Hopefully we do not face the same fate as tennis, I do not think we will. Golf is, as you noted a far better overall experience than tennis.



 

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