I have hardened up to the fact it is no longer sad that a golf course is closing.
There are too many so some must close.
Those closing make the others around it stronger.
Not when golfers continue to give the game up.
I recall reading figures recently that showed the number of active golfers in Scotland had remained stable with just a small reduction in numbers compared to the previous year but that the fall in golfers who were club members continued showing there was no switch across. In England the number of golfers had actually increased which surprised me.
I think it is back to the how many rounds do you have to play to be a golfer and of course there is no definitive.
There is a distinct pattern though from
eager player to give up/rarely play
= a member of a golf club
play for x years get better/ decent handicap/ win competitions
THEN COMES AN EVENT that changes your lifestyle...say a baby but it could be moving jobs, location lots of different reasons non golfing. YOU FIND THAT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO PLAY AS MUCH so you stop being a member.
When you play you dont play as well so you dont enjoy it and if you dont enjoy it you dont crave further golf.
YOU ARE STILL A GOLFER BUT you might only play once a year.
STILL AS MANY GOLFERS but distortion of the amount of rounds golfers once played and deep down that is the important figure.