Adam,
Holiday greetings to you sir!
Interesting question. I believe it depends on the facet of the game you are talking about. It's hard to see where the pro game is really advancing much, besides lining pockets and some charitable efforts which are worthwhile, but is the continued decline of the game worth the tradeoff?
Design - Still far too great! Preoccupation with length still rampant, except for those with nuanced understanding of what makes for truely great golf. How is this leading to a qiucker, better game? Ever larger acreage will be needed over which to contest the sport. A pathetic and grossly irresponsible way forward, directly countering a global direction to consume less wastefully and conserve resources. The greed and arrogance of many of these folks knows no bounds, yet they wonder why golf gets a black eye and is despised by many non-golfers.
Equipment- See above. In addition, the industry, thru fear of lawsuits, continues to cause the USGA and others to cower, instead of taking charge of the sport! Does the equipment industry dictate the specs for the football used in the NFL or college-hell no. Hockey sticks in NHL? Baseballs and bats in MLB. Basketballs in NBA? Again, the idea that the game owes the industry a profit center is the biggest pile of rubbish I've ever seen. Are the equipment folks paying for the ever-increasing cost of the larger staduims, ie. bigger courses needed to play their equipment. Of course not! The administrative bodies need to go on offense, legally and otherwise, and tell the industry we set the rules, you guys are free to manufacture the equipment within those specs...or find another business!!!
Pace of play- Awful influence. Hit those pros hard with penalities for slow play. Game wide revolution against "dropping anchor" out on the course could turn that around very quickly. In the main, gutless administration is to blame.
Growth of participation- Varied. No question, especially in emerging golf nations, the pro stars are stimulating rooting interest and desire to play. The degree, to which all the potential good they could contribute in well-structured programs and initiatives, is currently marginal and poorly coordinated in most cases. Sad, as there is tremendous potential with collaborative efforts. It just takes some commitment level, besides the immediate ROI mentality, to put something of significant impact together that can help interested youth and adults get exposure and take up the game.
There are other areas, but in short, the pro game, working with other industry and public partners, has an almost unlimited ability to positively impact change. Do they care enough is the question? If you look at the current body of work...there's a long way to go.
Cheers
