The next in line

[CVerland]

Fellow spies,

 

Before I begin, a little background info on myself. 31yr old male, located in eastern WA, 20.2 handicap, avid player (2-3x/week) mindful of all rules and courtesies of the game, use a corporate membership to my home course, next year will be purchasing my own private membership.

 

As a "millennial" golfer I would like to know, "WHERE ARE THE REST OF US?" Man, I've got a group of 3-4 other guys that I can count on to get a round of golf and a round of bets/beers in with and that's about it. I'm semi-trolling around on the range/courses/clubhouses/bars to see other players in our around our age that are keeping this game that I love moving forward into the future. Buying equipment, taking lessons, paying to play at other courses, hell even buying food/booze from the clubhouse! Granted, golf isn't cheap, and I'm lucky enough to have a good wife, and a good job that allows me to enjoy it. But is price really driving younger people away from the game? Is it age? Is it some social stigma? My friends and I have no intention of slowing down our love affair with this God awful/amazing game and we often talk about looking towards the future of the game. What is that future without a younger generation to sustain the clubs/courses that we enjoy? I'm certainly dumping every extra dime I've got to get better(I think)/buy cool golf s***/get out on the course. I hope there's more of us out there doing the same.

 

Cheers beers fellas. Here's to the next in line.

 

 

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[BIG STU]

Well I am going to sound like an old fart crumudgen but you asked a legimate honest question and I am going to give you a honest answer. Remember this is my opinion right or wrong.

This day in time it seems most younger adults want to hang around sports bars and watching sports instead of playing one. And they have to have the newest latest vehicle offered and fancy clothes. They can not afford to take up the game and do not want to invest the time to play it well. Now I can see the flip side of the coin if they have a young family and have to work like hell to provide for them and do not have the time between work and family to pursue golf. Just my .02 worth

[~^~]

I was 45 when i started playing and I didn't see many guys my age playing at my time of day, especially as a single like me. Golf transcends many barriers, and age is one of them. I played and still play with a lot of guys 10-20 years older than myself, and the love of the game, the outdoors and comraderie makes me keep coming back.

 

Golf is great because there are many ways to enjoy it.

[revkev]

CVaerland I'm happy to learn that you and your friends enjoy the game. My son's are in their late 20's and both enjoy golf. One can't afford it unless Dad foots the bill. The other one has two young children and a new house so they chew up his spare time.

 

The key is to get back to 9 hole round for things like social leagues. My league is very diverse. We have young people and women in our league. I think the key is that we are flexible. You can tee off any time between 1-5. We are flighted so handicap doesn't matter. The course that we play isn't a back breaker and we have lots of fun. I've never had a bad playing partner in 10 years of playing in that league.

 

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[sp0rtsfan86]

Fellow spies,

 

Before I begin, a little background info on myself. 31yr old male, located in eastern WA, 20.2 handicap, avid player (2-3x/week) mindful of all rules and courtesies of the game, use a corporate membership to my home course, next year will be purchasing my own private membership.

 

As a "millennial" golfer I would like to know, "WHERE ARE THE REST OF US?" Man, I've got a group of 3-4 other guys that I can count on to get a round of golf and a round of bets/beers in with and that's about it. I'm semi-trolling around on the range/courses/clubhouses/bars to see other players in our around our age that are keeping this game that I love moving forward into the future. Buying equipment, taking lessons, paying to play at other courses, hell even buying food/booze from the clubhouse! Granted, golf isn't cheap, and I'm lucky enough to have a good wife, and a good job that allows me to enjoy it. But is price really driving younger people away from the game? Is it age? Is it some social stigma? My friends and I have no intention of slowing down our love affair with this God awful/amazing game and we often talk about looking towards the future of the game. What is that future without a younger generation to sustain the clubs/courses that we enjoy? I'm certainly dumping every extra dime I've got to get better(I think)/buy cool golf s***/get out on the course. I hope there's more of us out there doing the same.

 

Cheers beers fellas. Here's to the next in line.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

can you come visit me haha, I feel your pain.

 

As a 27 year old, I've played with more guys in their 70's than 20's. I think a lot has to do with money, but a lot has to do with the frustrations of golf. Why bother with a sport that frustrates you to no end, where good equipment often comes at hundreds of dollars... and takes 3-4 hours or 2 if you're quick.

 

The two guys I played with in undergrad have basically turned into once or twice a year golfers... back in college it was once or twice a week. Those are the same two that I did 90 holes in 3 days with. Both said they probably were done for a few weeks of golf after that, meanwhile I was back on the course two or three days later. I think it means so much more to me than most people. I hope I find more and more people like myself in my age bracket.

[numberonecoog]

I actually wrote about this on my blog today. As a millenial I have to say my biggest issue and many other folks my age biggest issue is 3 fold Time to play,cost, the uptight nature of the game. It take too long and it is far too expensive to play for most people my age

[revkev]

I actually wrote about this on my blog today. As a millenial I have to say my biggest issue and many other folks my age biggest issue is 3 fold Time to play,cost, the uptight nature of the game. It take too long and it is far too expensive to play for most people my age

I'm curious though what about a quick nine? Is that satisfying enough? Its quicker and cheaper. Would they/you consider that? I'd often play 9 when I was younger or as my kids were learning to play.

 

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[Fireinthehole]

I actually wrote about this on my blog today. As a millenial I have to say my biggest issue and many other folks my age biggest issue is 3 fold Time to play,cost, the uptight nature of the game. It take too long and it is far too expensive to play for most people my age

I'd say region plays into it as well. I have friends from Ohio and Georgia and they grew up with golf and a lot of courses around. My self I live in Oregon and even my Washington friends never were around much. I think 24-26 is that sweet spot where younger people start moving away from basketball pick up games and such to golf. I'd agree that 80-90% of people I play with are over 40, nothing wrong with that.

I don't want to come across as desperate when trying to get the young guys to stick around or get more rounds in with them.

But like rev said doing rounds of 9. Couple of buddies are ok with that some not so much. But with young families and young careers (or grad school on my case) it just makes more sense. With so many sites and price options I see price becoming less a barrier- private clubs excluded.

 

 

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[Toddwtodd]

I think several things as a 31 year old stay at home dad:

 

Time to play is an issue. Because 4 hours to play 18 isn't four hours. It's 20 minutes to the course, 20 minutes warm up/wait to tee off, 4.5 hours to play 18, 30 minutes to have a beer after, then 20 minutes home. That's 6 hours which is a pretty big time commitment. And modern parenting has built in guilt if you don't spend all of your free time with your kid. Even though I stay at home with him it's still there. So if you have kids hoping for 6 hours on a Saturday to go to the course and play golf and drink a beer is a lot to hope for. If your kids are old enough they are playing a sport themselves and you have to go to that obviously.

 

And money is a big part of it too. My wife is a resident and I stay home with our son - she makes good money even as a resident. And my golf budget per month is only like $100 - and it's only that high because my wife doesn't do the budget! Playing on the weekends that's basically 36 holes a month on most decent courses and maybe a trip to the driving range. If I had more time and less discretion with my course choice could I play 54-72 holes on that budget? Sure.

 

And money just to get into the sport is a consideration as well: all of my clubs are used and my total bag still cost over $400 and that includes lots of online and in store searching. Plus $135 for the bag. Plus $60 for the shoes. And $20 for balls. $20 for a glove. $5 for tees. BTW - golf equipment companies do themselves no favors by only advertising $400 drivers that the pro doesn't even have to pay for. What does a beginner have to choose from? A Lynx or Snake Eyes set which has way more clubs than they need to start anyways?? Buying and searching and searching for used cheap stuff off of eBay? It's easy to get overwhelmed and disappointed and not want to do it I think.

[jlew2144]

I'm 34 and just getting back into the game after about 10 years off. There were two major contributing factors to me taking that time off from the game. First and foremost was the unique situation I was in when I married my wife, already having two children that were 10 and 13 meant assuming the step dad role. That in itself took the two big factors away, time and money. Any expendable income or time was spent on/with my family, making golf an after thought. I'd get out once or twice a year as a part of the kids activity outings, baseball fundraiser, track fundraiser etc. 

 

Now that my kids are older and doing their own thing/moving out     I've got some of my time and money back to be able to put towards the game. The people I play with? All folks that are in the same boat as me, their kids are older and less reliant on them for money/time. Few of the guys who work for me are in their early 20's and are excited to play, but as they start getting married and starting families I'm sure their desire/ability to find the time and money will die off.

[sp0rtsfan86]

I'm curious though what about a quick nine? Is that satisfying enough? Its quicker and cheaper. Would they/you consider that? I'd often play 9 when I was younger or as my kids were learning to play.

 

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18 or bust for me usually. Only reason I cut short is time going into a round, rain or extremely slow play. And the third is more if I'm not playing well as a result.  I've fit in 18 when you play the last 2 holes with no daylight and even when i had to walk through the forest path in pitch black. 

 

My two buddies are prime example-- played a crap ton in college. One is a workaholic, the other has no courses that are cheap to play.They are not playing even remotely as much as I did in college-- and I didn't have a car.

The Marine base here in Yuma has a ton of guys, and usually there's a foursome or so every weekend at the course. That's it. I've met a few and played a bunch of golf with them, but none of their buddies are interested unless they want a good excuse to day drink for a couple hours. Plus they get annoyed when it takes over 100 strokes to play 18.

 

In short: time money and skill are the biggest killers from my perspective.

[~^~]

CVlander, recommend you start and keep a golf journal, showing your scores, places played, fees, etc. Also lessons taken, equipment purchased. And swing thoughts, what worked, what didn't. That way you keep tabs on your personal golf journey, which is the real point of amateur golf. That way, you can be honest with yourself about your progress, no matter what you tell others, or how many 5-6 footers you give yourself.

[mdumble21]

can you come visit me haha, I feel your pain.

 

As a 27 year old, I've played with more guys in their 70's than 20's. I think a lot has to do with money, but a lot has to do with the frustrations of golf. Why bother with a sport that frustrates you to no end, where good equipment often comes at hundreds of dollars... and takes 3-4 hours or 2 if you're quick.

 

The two guys I played with in undergrad have basically turned into once or twice a year golfers... back in college it was once or twice a week. Those are the same two that I did 90 holes in 3 days with. Both said they probably were done for a few weeks of golf after that, meanwhile I was back on the course two or three days later. I think it means so much more to me than most people. I hope I find more and more people like myself in my age bracket.

 

Hi there. I'm 26 and in the exact same boat as you SportsFan. I started playing golf competitively because it gave me something to do on my days off, and it gave me the opportunity to meet up with people who shared my love for the game. However, the vast majority who play golf regularly (i.e. twice a week) are double my age, which doesn't help the image of the game. Sure, the top 3 golfers in the world (Jason, Jordan and Rory) are all under 30 years old, but the game of golf has always been viewed as an "old man's game". 

 

I learnt to just put up with playing with people twice my age who rarely hit their drives more than 200yds, and then take the compliments that they give you when you blast it 80yd past them! It's best to just enjoy the game for now, because when you're getting to 50+ in age, you'll lose that distance.

[PlaidJacket]

 

I learnt to just put up with playing with people twice my age who rarely hit their drives more than 200yds, and then take the compliments that they give you when you blast it 80yd past them! It's best to just enjoy the game for now, because when you're getting to 50+ in age, you'll lose that distance.

Guess what dumble21. I'm 61 and I'd put up with you any day. I only average about 250 off the tee. Our game handicap wise seems to be a close match.  Surely you can beat an old man like me. Right? Oh, don't forget to bring some cash. 

[revkev]

I will take a piece of that action too. I averaged 231 off the tee yesterday. Distance had nothing to do with why I only shot 76. A hooked tee shot and 3 putt on the front and thinned 5 iron on the back did me in.

 

My son and I enjoy playing with one another immensly. He's half my age and sometimes hits it 100 yards past me. He's yet to beat me. My favorite was the time a few years back when he had a chance. We got to 14 and he was one up. The hole was 184 and he bet me 10 on closest to the pin. He hit 7 iron on the green, saw that I had 4 hybrid uses some sailor talk and threw a bill at me just after the ball left the club face.

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Guess what dumble21. I'm 61 and I'd put up with you any day. I only average about 250 off the tee. Our game handicap wise seems to be a close match.  Surely you can beat an old man like me. Right? Oh, don't forget to bring some cash. 

 

 

I will take a piece of that action too. I averaged 231 off the tee yesterday. Distance had nothing to do with why I only shot 76. A hooked tee shot and 3 putt on the front and thinned 5 iron on the back did me in.

 

 

Can I pick the tees? lol 

[revkev]

Can I pick the tees? lol

Yes because handicaps are handicaps and I know that I can shoot 85 in a course with a slope of 148 from 7200 at sea level

 

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[kmaygolf]

I'm 20 years old and work a part time job during school, full time plus overtime during the summer and I still find the time to play 3 days a week and practice another few times a week. I love this game like nothing else. I make my plans around the days that I play golf. Dunked a 20 yard pitch shot today

 

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Yes because handicaps are handicaps and I know that I can shoot 85 in a course with a slope of 148 from 7200 at sea level

 

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Touché. I think with my handicap and that long of a course I'd have a chance lol

[JBones]

I got a pocketful of Benjamin's at 7600.

 

 

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[mdumble21]

I will take a piece of that action too. I averaged 231 off the tee yesterday. Distance had nothing to do with why I only shot 76. A hooked tee shot and 3 putt on the front and thinned 5 iron on the back did me in.

 

My son and I enjoy playing with one another immensly. He's half my age and sometimes hits it 100 yards past me. He's yet to beat me. My favorite was the time a few years back when he had a chance. We got to 14 and he was one up. The hole was 184 and he bet me 10 on closest to the pin. He hit 7 iron on the green, saw that I had 4 hybrid uses some sailor talk and threw a bill at me just after the ball left the club face.

 

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My Dad's the same whenever we play. We talk smack all the time around the golf course, but smack-talk only works when you can back it up. 

 

Also, I used to play with a guy who was 65-70 years old that used to hit 230-250yd off the tee with accuracy reminiscent of a tour player. I won $5 on the bet that he wouldn't miss a fairway with his driver! 

[revkev]

We have to have some fun, golf needs to be fun. . Bones it depends upon the 7600. If it's lots of forced carry stuff there's not much chance for a guy like me. If it's not though an index is an index.

 

BTW playing at 7600 yards would not be my idea of fun.

[Mr_Theoo]

I got a pocketful of Benjamin's at 7600.

 

 

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How many strokes you giving me?

[BIG STU]

Guess what dumble21. I'm 61 and I'd put up with you any day. I only average about 250 off the tee. Our game handicap wise seems to be a close match.  Surely you can beat an old man like me. Right? Oh, don't forget to bring some cash. 

TEE HEEE HEEEE Plaid that is what the senior tees are for and I thought I WAS the resident golf hustler and BTW can I get half of your action? pleeze? 

[JBones]

How many strokes you giving me?

1 per side.

 

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

1 per side.

 

 

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NOT FAIR!

[JBones]

NOT FAIR!

Life's not fair.

 

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

STU... I think between you and me we can clean him out. LOL

[Dhuck Whooker]

400?