I believe 'golf in the schools' is a very good approach. I think that there is a consensus that growing the game means a focused effort to involve a new and young generation to meaningfully expose youth early and develop a lasting enjoyment as they age and become able to participate as serious consumers of the game and products to play.
The idea of golf in the schools, needs full participation from facilities that can handle a couple of bus loads of kids immediately. That means courses with substantial practice facilities; a good size teeing line on a range, and good short game and putting greens and practice bunkers, must be available to participating school programs. That is a big ask for these facilities, and incentives need to be developed.
Not all communities have good practice facilities. But, those that do have to figure out a way to subsidize a golf course practice facility operation, either a privately owned-public facility, or muni facility, to help with operational costs of the range and practice greens that comes with increased novice usage.
Inculcating a love of striking nice shots, and putting or chipping balls in the hole is a process that needs to be managed by mentor older golfers. Perhaps the PGA can create a tier of volunteer golf mentors, who are given clinics oriented towards teaching serious volunteer regular golfers to teach basics to large groups of kids. Obviously the PGA doesn't have enough certified professionals to handle an influx of large groups of youth, but they can develop a system of one supervising pro to train a team of volunteers.
Thus, a movement to get golf into the curriculum of gym classes, or through YMCA, Boys and Girls clubs, and other community service orgs, where large group instruction and use of practice facilities would be the gateway to these youngsters developing a lasting desire to continue to improve and take the game up as they become able to pay is a form of investing now to reap growth later.
I think it is true as the article states: that kids and most all people like to learn things together. Thus, youth group exposure to lessons at practice facilities seems to me to be a key to stimulating renewed participation in golf. We can offer fun to these kids, if we will have fun with it ourselves.