No, I'm not off my rocker. A new survey in the UK suggests that golfers are putting their clubs into retirement, slipping into something deeply unsightly and taking to the roads on two wheels. My backside is sore just thinking about a saddle.
Here's an extract: 'A 2013 study by Sports Marketing Surveys, which has been examining golfers' habits for 17 years, showed that 20% of golfers who packed up the game in the past six to 24 months - whose reason was to take up a new activity or sport - did so to take up cycling.'
Is it happening in Ireland? Who knows, and despite falling golfing numbers I don't see the GUI drumming up the interest to conduct such research... but read this BBC article and it does raise some valid points regarding golf. It even mentions a few clever ideas to boost membership. You'll be glad to hear that those ideas do not involve bicycles... or lycra.
But if you are one of those thinking about forsaking our beautiful game to become a MAMIL, let me give you my address as I could do with those ProV1s in your bag... and the Taylormade driver... and the Scotty Cameron.
Or, perhaps, we could just combine the two... live in mutual harmony... and leave the lycra at home.
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| Courtesy of Kierland Golf Club |
The Economist is also running an article on the decline of golf in their Christmas issue, titled "Handicapped", in which cycling is also mentioned as an "alternative" - especially for the techies in Silicon Valley. Footgolf is mentioned as another "alternative", but with the Economist I wonder: "is this really progress"?
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI am sure you are aware of this but you are getting shout outs in Golf Digest.
Sorry about the comment in the incorrect place but not sure how else to let you know
http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2014/12/lets-check-in-with-that-guy-wh.html