[RJ_Daley]

From a recent thread, it sounds like the Swedes have a good system of education for beginners about golf; the etiquette ins and outs, the ideals behind the game, etc., before they let them on the course.  They seem to also have a great youth program of introduction related to this educational introduction. 

Perhaps some of this notion and reasons for intimidation as a barrier is cultural here, and not found in some other countries.   

[John Moore II]

RJ-I think so many American golfers view the golf course as a total escape from the daily life, and just don't want anything the least bit stressful. Which also explains why golfers complain so much about (perceived) slow play, carts on path and other things. These people don't want to be bothered by new golfers. These are of course the people who play CCFAD's and Private clubs. That is why I feel it falls to the lower to mid range public facilities to develop young and beginning golfers.

[Kyle Harris]

I think the whole issue with beginners is that people don't want to try to educate them on how to properly play the game, treat the course, and other necessary things. I have no issue with playing with someone who is a beginner, and if I see them doing something incorrectly, I make every effort to show them and tell them the proper things to do in the nicest way possible. I think the golf courses, especially the public ones, need to do extensive beginning golfer education programs in order to reduce this intimidation and lack of knowledge.

This is going to sound bad, but I think the idea that a golfer "needs" to be educated is part of the problem. Unsolicited advice can go a long way to driving a beginner away, regardless of how nice one is. Making it seem like a crime against humanity to not fix a ballmark and to point out a bunch of little inconsideracies will drive people away.

Golf is a game learned over the course of years, and we all pick up on new etiquette things. I think the best way to bring people into the game is to be tolerant, lead by example, and allow the new player to develop their own good habits by being immersed in good habits - not by being lectured.

[John Moore II]

Kyle-perhaps I made it seem too much like I just go around the course telling new golfers how they should act. I do not. If they take a big divot, I will either pick up the divot for them, of fill the divot with sand, whichever is easiest, and what the course wants. If they hit a nice high shot into the green, usually I will fix the mark (if they don't) and then let them know that it is customary to fix marks on the green. But I do not go around trying to boss around new golfers, I understand that those sorts of things become major factors in them leaving as well, in some ways even contributing to the intimidation.
--But the point is, educated golfers (and people in general) will be more comfortable going somewhere if they at least know the basics of how to act. I have an idea that just about any experienced player would be intimidated if they were to be invited to play Augusta or Pine Valley, just because they do not know what is expected there. The same is true for the beginner at the local golf club.

[Jason Topp]

Good executive courses are terrific for this, particularly if designed to be attractive practice facilities for experienced golfers as well as an enjoyable 9 holes.  Such an environment allows new golfers a safe place to play while exposing them to people with more experience with the game.

In my neighborhood a course with a good practice facility and a par 30 course is packed.  I use the place to practice quite a bit because it is closer to home than my club.  It is definitely a safe environment for new golfers.  Almost everone there is new and they seem really comfortable there.

My old public course is a great facility to accomodate both avid and new golfers.  27 holes of 7000 yard golf and a 9 hole par 31 course.  Women and kids pack the small course and, as a result, do not clog the big course.  (Of course the avid golfers do that on their own).

[Bill_Yates]

Of course time and money can be addressed at the facility level.  Most courses directly address these issues every day - they overcrowd their courses and overcharge their customers.  Just another form of intimidation from my point of view.

[David Lott]

The intimidation factor comes principally from the difficulty of the game, and secondarily from the complications of tradition, etiquette and rules. The facility does not have a lot to do with those factors, but the people running the facility--and those using it--have a huge role to play.

Class and money aside, golf has a long history of those who "get it" (or think they do) looking down on those who don't. The existence and popularity of Golf Club Atlas is good evidence of this fact.

As Pogo would say, "we have met the enemy, and they is us."

[jeffwarne]

Of course time and money can be addressed at the facility level.  Most courses directly address these issues every day - they overcrowd their courses and overcharge their customers.  Just another form of intimidation from my point of view.

If they "overcrowd their courses" how on earth do they get the customer to be overcharged?
and if they "overcharge their customers", how on earth do they find people to overcrowd their courses?
Couldn't people just vote with their feet?

Seems a little bit like Yogi's "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded"

[Carl Rogers]

I wonder about the business model of the a traditional nine holer next to a short beginners course, youth programs, short game practice areas as an easier way to get the whole family involved.  Are there examples of this type of facility?  Hasn't  the traditional model been basically maxed out?

I think beginners and those that teach them make the mistake of heading to the practice range when they need to get used to making short shots and learning how to manipulate the club on basic chip and flop shots.

[Bill_Yates]

Jeff,
Oh, come now Jeff.  You don't mean to tell me that you have played on an overcrowded course that took more than 5 hours to play and you felt that you received full value for the price you paid. 

All too often, courses focus on the wrong metric - "number of rounds" and forget that quality and value are critical to generating revenue.

I say courses have full control over time and money - other businesses do.

[Forrest Richardson]

Bill Y. speaks the truth...finally 

Actually, Bill and Dr. Ed Sadalla gave an excellent presentation (with me) to a group of owners at a NGCOA meeting last year. Dr. Sadalla focused on time, but he also spent a great deal talking about intimidation! It was a very enlightening presentation dealing with human perceptions and fears. Golf, it appears, is a masterpiece of intimidating, "inside" information that only dribbles out to the masses...and only when the insiders feel the time is right to do so.

This leads to less golfers, fewer regular players and lots and lots of one-time players who no longer play after giving it a try.

[jeffwarne]

Bill,
My point is if you have overcharged and overcrowded experience-will you come back?
In your case(and I would think most cases) the answer is no.
So how can they stay overcrowded?
I think people forget just how much their private club really costs them.
Or they compare the price of a govt. subsidized course like Bethpage,
or they compare it to a course like Wild Horse where the land costs (and opportunity costs) are nil.
Or they compare it to many of the courses that are competing themselves and their neighbors out of business via price wars.
Most daily fee courses are losing money on the golf (perhaps in part because they spend excess money on the silly crap people demand (or they think demand).
If they're "overcharging and overcrowded " and losing money, that would suggest to me they need to RAISE prices to increase revenue and ultimately decrease crowds.

[Mike Bowline]

The intimidation factor comes principally from the difficulty of the game, and secondarily from the complications of tradition, etiquette and rules. The facility does not have a lot to do with those factors, but the people running the facility--and those using it--have a huge role to play.

The intimidation at the first tee can be overwhelming for an inexperienced player. Why not locate the first tee where there are not tens of interested onlookers creating angst in the mind of the inexperienced golfer?

[John Burzynski]

The intimidation factor comes principally from the difficulty of the game, and secondarily from the complications of tradition, etiquette and rules. The facility does not have a lot to do with those factors, but the people running the facility--and those using it--have a huge role to play.

The intimidation at the first tee can be overwhelming for an inexperienced player. Why not locate the first tee where there are not tens of interested onlookers creating angst in the mind of the inexperienced golfer?

Great idea...even a simple line of pine trees between the tee and the clubhouse, kind of like a windbreak, but this would be a line of sight break.  Even though in many cases nobody is really watching you tee off, the mere thought that eyes are staring at you can be enough to cause a beginner jitters.  Plus it might eliminate golfers behind you from thinking, " oh no, we are gonna be here all day with a hack like this ahead of us", sometimes it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy of slow play.

There is so much competition with other entertainment in society that golf will have to change a few things to make their customers more comfortable and attract them to come back again, strictly from a business standpoint.   Shorter rounds probably will help, too.

[PThomas]

semi-related thoughts :

1. on TGC today Tiger talked about how the game is too expensive for junios, how he and his friends used to play for free or $1 in the afternoons

2. how can courses like Wild Horse charge so little for those year round passes and still make money?  How are they succeeding and others failing?

3. David Owen's artcile "Back -Roads  Scotland" talked about Kingussie, where one can join for 200 pounds!

4. how much does insistence of "perfect maintenance" raise green fees?

5. how many new courses are being built that aren't overdifficult for beginners...i.e., where the ball can be rolled onto the greens, where there aren't many/any do or die carries, etc?

[John Moore II]

Paul-I would say that people wanting perfect conditions contributes significantly to green fee increases. With additional money being spent on maintenance, it has to be generated somewhere. But at some point there should be value, if a club markets itself  as a budget course and provides just that, it can survive. 
--Without knowing much about Wild Horse, I would assume they are able to make it with low pass fees based on what those people spend elsewhere at the club. Be it in cart fees, food sales, etc. They probably also run a low cost maintenance program. They simply operate on a business model that does not require huge expenditures.
--I can also recall being able to play golf on a muni course in NC while on vacations for $4.
--I would say that few courses are being built that are not hard for beginners. All courses now have to be 'championship' courses, and those are not the places for beginners to learn the game.
---Played a course today for the first time and it had several forced carries and other things of that nature. Other comments may come later once I hear back from the GCA member who is also a member of that club.
--Golf is generally too expensive in America. People demand too much of golf courses as far as conditioning. This is driving up cost and making the game less accessible for the 'masses.'

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