Initially, I was a supporter of golf’s increase of popularity, at both amateur and professional level, due to the the Covid pandemic.
Certainly, golf is going through a golden period right now. More and more individuals are taking up the game, with the aim of getting better and meeting new people firmly on the minds of many.
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In all honesty, I’m expecting negative responses to this thought and article. “It’s such an old-school mentality. You’re just moaning for the sake of it,” some will probably bellow at me through their screens.
Hear me out, though…
Yes, numbers being so high is (theoretically) great for our game, even though, as a result, the cost of membership and green fees have risen to astronomical levels as golf clubs look to cash in before the busy bubble bursts.
Speaking of clubs, can they really sustain these high numbers of new members and is it really viable for green fees to be so high in the long term?
Getting a good tee time now, on the weekend especially, is nigh on impossible. Even on a Thursday or Friday, when my days off occur, it can be a struggle to find a slot at a reasonable time of day.
What’s more, the number of new golfers – and indeed old – who don’t know about basic etiquette is alarming.
Unrepaired pitch marks, bunkers not raked and divots not being filled in have been a regular occurrence and sticking point at clubs for decades. Since Covid, the problem has only got worse.
Remember to repair your divots!
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When I’m on the course, I find it crazy and sad how many pitch marks aren’t fixed. During my recent Stableford competition round, I was repairing nearly 10 on each green.
The frightening thing is the majority of those in front of me were members, not paying guests!
I don’t want to say it… but I wish golf could return to how it was pre-pandemic.
Previously, I could stroll into a golf club and pay for a green fee, bottle of water and a ball marker using just a £50 note. Now, I’m…
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