Historically, participation in golf has been up-and-down, and while things seem rosy at the moment – a product of the sport’s boost in popularity in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – it’s not something that can ever be taken for granted.
That’s why a recent report about how golf’s rules are perceived by the younger generation is potentially problematic. Indeed, experts have expressed their concerns over Gen Z’s adherence to the game’s regulations and warned the sport could struggle to grow if the needs of the next generation of players are not met.
The Mackenzie Survey, which first ran in 2010 and is now carried out every year by Sport Psychology Ltd (SPL), looks at the relevance of the 13 golf design principles established 100 years ago by revered course designer Dr Alister Mackenzie. In addition, it asks respondents to add ‘Principle 14’, which is something they’d like to see addressed in the game.
While this year’s iteration is still ongoing, a significant number of those taking part in the survey have expressed their displeasure with having to play their ball from divots in the fairway. Interestingly, all respondents who made this observation were born between 1997 and 2012 and thus classified as Generation Z.
PSYenz, the specialist neuroscience division of SPL, has run a number of focus groups off the back of the feedback, speaking to both Gen Z golfers and non-golfers about the specific issue of balls finding divots and the rules more generally.
The focus groups were comprised of 21 golfers – 19 male and two female – and 28 non-golfers. Everyone who took part believed the fairway divot rule was inherently unfair.
The prevailing feeling was one of dismay – why should a good shot be punished in such a way, especially if it was as a result of poor care or etiquette from a fellow competition? The issue of the person creating the divot playing from a perfect lie also fed into the perceived injustice.
“When I was looking at survey responses and specifically the ‘14th principle’ section, for the first time ever, I saw all these comments about playing from divots in the fairway,” says Stephen Smith, who is the chief psychologist/neuroscientist and founder of Sport Psychology Ltd.
All of the respondents who mentioned fairway divots fell…
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