[David_Tepper]

https://www.randa.org/en/news/2021/12/record-numbers-now-playing-golf-worldwide

[V_Halyard]

https://www.randa.org/en/news/2021/12/record-numbers-now-playing-golf-worldwide

And importantly, how many can we hold onto and what can we do to not chase the newbies away?
Solid architecture and conditioning are strong weapons for retention.

[Niall C]

I'd have thought fun, affordability and access would come before the architecture and conditioning. I also have to say as someone not in the business that "growing the game" is not one of my priorities. Indeed I'd rather it didn't grow if in order to do so the game becomes bastardised or the spirit of the game becomes distorted.


Niall

[V_Halyard]

I'd have thought fun, affordability and access would come before the architecture and conditioning. I also have to say as someone not in the business that "growing the game" is not one of my priorities. Indeed I'd rather it didn't grow if in order to do so the game becomes bastardised or the spirit of the game becomes distorted.


Niall

We are agreeing. It is less about "growing the game" and more about "stop screwing the game up".
Good architecture and conditioning deliver the excellent experiences at least at the public level here in the US. Here, too many public courses have succumbed to neglect, overgrowth, nasty fairways and greens, and poor conditioning. Better construction and design and conditioning regardless of slope will keep folks playing.  Trashy golf will send them to pickle ball.

[Tom_Doak]

https://www.randa.org/en/news/2021/12/record-numbers-now-playing-golf-worldwide

And importantly, how many can we hold onto and what can we do to not chase the newbies away?
Solid architecture and conditioning are strong weapons for retention.

I don't think that is about architecture much at all.


It's about NOT CHASING PEOPLE AWAY by making them uncomfortable at the course with dress codes, rules, rolling your eyes at beginners, ad nauseam.  Make them feel welcome and give them a chance to catch the golf bug.

[V_Halyard]

https://www.randa.org/en/news/2021/12/record-numbers-now-playing-golf-worldwide

And importantly, how many can we hold onto and what can we do to not chase the newbies away?
Solid architecture and conditioning are strong weapons for retention.

I don't think that is about architecture much at all.

It's about NOT CHASING PEOPLE AWAY by making them uncomfortable at the course with dress codes, rules, rolling your eyes at beginners, ad nauseam.  Make them feel welcome and give them a chance to catch the golf bug.

Yes, maybe at higher end places with good conditioning. That's not the case where the tee boxes are dust, the greens are circles of fungus, folks are paying taxes to play on rock hard rock infested fairways. These are not just in the cities.
It's easier to worry about ettiquite and snobbiness in places most of us in here get to play. That is not the case at some of the munys I've visited where the cities or towns are neglecting the areas that would benefit most by having kids and new golfers play.
There are multiple golf worlds in US golf. Private, Premium Public/Muny, Public/Muny, and dirt track. In addition to the awesome places I visited, I try to spend time exploring courses that fly way below the GCA radar.
Many could use some simple facelifts to be decent.
Many still have kids spending long days on their courses. These places are their refuge. They could be better.

[Dan_Callahan]

For the average golfer in the United States, I would guess that the two primary drivers that would cause a reduction in popularity are cost and pace of play. I would take an average design with a pace of play that allows me to get around in under 3.5 hours over a highly regarded design that, because of it's popularity, takes me 5+ hours to play.

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