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Rumor: Dicks and GG lay off Golf Pro's?


TxDieselKid

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It is confirmed at least for Dicks, not sure about GG.  There is a thread over on the "other" site where a few different people confirmed it.

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I've personally confirmed this with 2 sources in a position to know. 2014 is shaping up to be measurably worse than 2013, and '13 was bad. There comes a point where there's not enough profit in equipment to pay a PGA professional to sell it, and with the overabundance of discounting over the last 2 years well...do the math.

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Not a rumor, the PGA of America confirmed it

 

http://m.espn.go.com/golf/story?storyId=11248733&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%22%7D

 

Dick's isn't where I go for golf equipment or advice anyway, but sucks for the few good apples they had. Total dick move of Dick's.

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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I haven't bought anything from a big box store in years and I used to feel a bit guilty for always hawking the super low prices on-line.   Now it seems that I should be congratulated for buying anything at all, at any price, because no one seems to be doing that!

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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When the news broke today I tried to hunt down as many articles as I could to confirm. In brief the articles I read pointed to a glut of equipment being released on the heels of equipment that was released months before as the culprit. Leading to steep discounting and profits taking a hit.

 

Should the discussion shift towards whether or not a select few companies are slitting their own throats - and taking the industry with it? Or is that too simplistic of a question? Do these 500 individuals who sadly lost their jobs today serve as a canary in the coal mine per se, or does the industry make a collective shrug and release a silver version of last months driver any carry on?

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Dicks orders more than anyone, it's the risk they take. Order more to sell more and when it's the end of a cycle and you're ordering you take the risk.

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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Local Dick's PGA Pro shot me a text today- he told me last week he was updating his resume. The golf business as a whole is a sinking ship. Not necessarily a bad thing though. We need a healthier supply and demand in EVERY aspect of the business that is golf- from professionals to places to play and everything else in between. We need to purge the dogs!

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Does Dick's have teaching pros as well? Just wondering if those folks are out too.

No Dick's near by so I am not that familiar with their golf set-up.

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The set up, at least out here, is a golf counter with pro. Club fitting tools and equipment situated in front of pretty nice and expensive looking simulator bay. I have never seen lessons given (doesn't mean they don't). It does not appear to be a Golfsmith/GolfTec thing where they do lessons from what I've seen. The pro helps you make selections and make loft lie adjustments, club repair or place an order.

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This Sucks.  Within a 2 hour drive of me we have Dick's, Sports Authority, and one Golf Galaxy.  No Golfsmith, no PGA Superstore, and maybe 2-3 VERY small mom and pop stores that carry very little product.

 

Here in the northeast where golf is a seasonal business, we miss out on a lot of the big golf stores because the season is so short.

 

2 of the 3 pros in my area have always been extremely helpful and they really know their stuff.  I know one also does lessons at one of the nicer courses in the area as well, so at least he has that going for him.

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:cobra-small:  King F6+

3 Wood -  :callaway-small: XR16
Hybrids -  :srixon-small:  ZH45
Irons -  :mizuno-small:  JPX 850 Pro

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Putter -   :taylormade-small: Spider Tour Red
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My Dick's is just 2 miles from my house.  Over the past few years, I have developed a nice relationship with the golf Pro, Jim. We discuss many aspects of golf and he has helped me make decisions on golf equipment.  I have purchased my last two drivers and fairway woods from him.  I am very saddened by this "numbers" approach to building their golf business.  As an accountant, I understand financial numbers, but their is indeed value added to a Dick's sporting Goods when a PGA professional is on board to help and advise their customers.

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

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Tony, is this going to funnel down to Golf Galaxy as well?

From the article I read, Dicks has a number of golf galaxy leases coming up for renewal and will be reviewing them. The dick up here is currently in the middle of throwing together a massive brand new complex here in columbus. A large store with an equally impressive field and stream and a brand new building for golf galaxy as well. Surprising this is they're abandoning perfectly good spaces less than a half mile away.

In Nick's Ogio Edge Stand Bag
Driver: Taylormade Rocketballz 9.5* Aldila Rip'd NV Stiff
Fairway: Tour Edge CB4 15* Rip Gamma Stiff
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro A12 18* KBS Tour X
Irons: Mizuno MP-53 3-PW DG X100
Wedges: Mizuno MP R-12 52* & 56* DG Spinner
Putter: Taylormade Ghost Spider Si 38"

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From the article I read, Dicks has a number of golf galaxy leases coming up for renewal and will be reviewing them. The dick up here is currently in the middle of throwing together a massive brand new complex here in columbus. A large store with an equally impressive field and stream and a brand new building for golf galaxy as well. Surprising this is they're abandoning perfectly good spaces less than a half mile away.

It's actually already opened and it's very impressive, the golf section is very nice and they have a foresight system for fittings and demos

Driver:   :callaway-small: Epic 10.5 set to 9.5 w/ Tour AD-DI 44.5

FW:   :cobra-small: F6 baffler set at 16º

Hybrid:  NONE
Irons:   :taylormade-small:  3i 2014 TP CB  4-PW 2011 TP MC w/ TT S400

Wedges:   :nike-small: 52º :nike-small: 56º  :edel-golf-1: 60 º w/ KBS C-Taper XS Soft-stepped

Putter:   :ping-small: Sigma G Tyne 34 inches Gold dot

 

 

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Well I hate to hear this for the golf pros and their families. I know the Dicks in MB ticked me off about 5 years or so ago and I have never been back. I hate to say it but the "new" Golfsmith store in MB is heading downhill fast. I went in there today to pick up a simple putter grip and they did not have any period. They had a ton of Superstroke and the new Winn Jumbo grips but no plain jane putter grips of any kind. They did not have many regular club grips either. I don't know what is happening to them I do know they bought a couple of local family owned stores called Golf Deminsions. They closed the one store about a mile from their new store and remodeled the one on the North end of the beach. Funny thing was that at 4:00 this afternoon in a resort area and it thunderstorming I was the only customer in the store and they had 6 or 7 people standing around doing nothing. I guess I will start back going to the PGA Superstore up the street. The PGA store has a better selection of club building supplies including my favorite lead tape. It does not look good for Golfsmith here at all

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

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You will start to see more and more closing of the doors for golf jobs, golf equipment and apparel companies, golf forums, etc.

 

Only 14 new golf courses were built last year while 157 were closed.

 

We NEED a healthier supply and demand. It'll be good for everybody. The tiger boom is over.

 

We don't need 27000 PGA Professionals. We don't need 1000 golf forums. It's been happening for the last couple years and will continue for probably the next eight more so sit back, grab some popcorn, and hopefully we can all keep our heads above water.

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You will start to see more and more closing of the doors for golf jobs, golf equipment and apparel companies, golf forums, etc.

 

Only 14 new golf courses were built last year while 157 were closed.

 

We NEED a healthier supply and demand. It'll be good for everybody. The tiger boom is over.

 

We don't need 27000 PGA Professionals. We don't need 1000 golf forums. It's been happening for the last couple years and will continue for probably the next eight more so sit back, grab some popcorn, and hopefully we can all keep our heads above water.

 

You forgot 9 holes. It's actually 157.5 courses...and yeah, it's bad, and I think the probability is you're right about everything.

 

2013 was the 8th straight year in which more courses closed than new courses open. Worse still, what is being opened is high-end private and/or resort courses, while the bulk of what's being closed now are lower cost public courses...the kind of places that attract new golfers and recreational golfers. The industry is screwing itself sideways. Guys with lots of money are like low handicappers...there just aren't enough of them to support an entire industry. More than ever the game needs the guys its alienating.

 

Is it any wonder that the game lost (NET loss) 400K golfers last year...and from the more bad news department, 200K of the golfers who walked away were between the ages of 18 and 34. Golf is a game without a next generation right now, and I can't foresee any program that can reinvigorate it. 

 

We can talk about slow play, and cost, and everything else, but I'm coming around to believing that golf's problems are symptomatic of the overall decline of the American middle class. The rich keep getting richer, and everyone else stops playing golf. Not to get into a rant about the state of the economy or anything, but the reality is that in the parts of the world where the middle class is growing, golf is growing. Correlation is not causation, but I think there's something to it.

 

Apart from the financial issues, golf faces far too much competition. I have a small family. There are 3 of us. Figure a round of golf would run us something around a$150. A trip to six flags is roughly the same (all day vs. 5 hours). Conservatively season's passes for six flags would run us about $300. A family membership...again, conservatively $3000 and that's before minimums and what not. 10X...and a whole lot less fun for the kid. Toss in things like video games, traveling sports teams (a relatively new phenomenon that's redonk expensive), and well, golf doesn't make much financial sense for anyone.

 

And here's the rub...as membership and play decline, operating costs don't fluctuate much. The grass still has to watered and mowed. Prices go up to offset the lack of play...fewer play...golfers stop coming altogether...courses close. Like I said, the industry is screwing itself.

 

The game isn't going away, but we haven't come close to reaching bottom yet. You're going to see contraction and consolidation. It's the Catholic church without the kiddie diddlers. 

 

And yes...as Apprenti says, that's going to trickle down throughout the industry. Nobody wants to say it (and I applaud Apprenti for sacking up and doing just that), there absolutely are too many PGA Professionals. The game can't support them. I feel for the guys, and the industry as a whole, but it doesn't make it any less true.

 

I'm not sure what the current crop of apprentices are going to do, because the future isn't bright.

 

It's going to trickle down to what we do as well. Media trips will surely be reduced, and the invited guest lists will shrink. The free equipment party for smaller blogs is going to come to a very sudden end, and only those with a large audience and the proverbial unique value proposition will thrive.

 

So yeah...Dick's fired 550 or so golf pros. They also canned all of Golf Galaxy's district managers. And I'm telling you right now...write this down, so I can say I told you so later, this 'Dick's thing' is Chapter 1 of the biggest equipment story since MyGolfSpy went online. Big...big...big changes are coming, and they'll be felt industry wide.

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It is interesting, at a number of levels. There are many things that impact it too, but at the end of the day, this is a very bad sign.

 

I think we are seeing the chinks in the armor, and even though I believe it is a contraction phase due to unsustainable growth, I completely buy in to the idea that the industry has created a deep hole for itself.

Dru - Owner, President & Janitor, Druware Software Designs

RH 13.1 Handicap in soggy Georgia 

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* 3W PXG 0211 ( HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Stiff ) 
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* 7W  Sub70 949x ( HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Stiff )
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* 56 @ Sub70 
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It appears that golf mirrors life more than we thought.

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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200K of the golfers who walked away were between the ages of 18 and 34. Golf is a game without a next generation right now, and I can't foresee any program that can reinvigorate it. 

 

 

The program that reinvigorates golf is called age.  It would be interesting to look at golf as it relates to life cycles.  Except for a year in college, where I played daily for class, I carried my clubs to the moving van more often than to the course.  18-34 year olds are in college, or just starting a family, or a career.  They for the most part are still active, perhaps in other sports or activities and have to decide where to spend time and money.  Many have children and at first they must share in the parental duties, and later take on a leadership role in the children's interest.  They spend their time as Scout Leaders and Softball Coaches or simply hauling kids to and fro.

 

Once the kids begin to branch out on their own the parents begin to have time to pursue their own interests. Many come back to golf because they suddenly have free time and are no longer in condition to join the men's softball league.

 

The lucky guys are the ones who had children interested in Golf and were able to bring their kids to the course and play and bond with their children in a way that no other sport or activity that I can think of. 

 

So in my uninformed opinion there are two areas where golf can grow.  The first is to attract the Parent/Child combinations with more Parent/Child tournaments.  And the second is to go after the 35-40 year olds who have never played before with some type of Men's night or beginners leagues or some beginners range thing.  It is a big step for 30-40 yo someone who can't hit a ball to pick up the game, but if there was some "Open Range" thing to attract them out.  A session in the bar afterwards would reenforce the "social side" and perhaps get more of these people coming in or back.

 

As people who played golf as a child, even poorly, like me, age, we generally start to return to the course as life allows us more time to do so.  We will generally link up with the other parents who we have known over the years as we have suffered kids concerts, and ball games, and recitals and will ultimately play more and more as time dictates.

 

I did not even address the money issue, because in reality, there are cheap alternatives to money, there is no alternative for time.

:ping-small:G430LST 10.5° on     T P T    POWER 18 Hi Driver 

:ping-small:G430MAX 3w  on     T P T    POWER 18 Hi Fairway 

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You forgot 9 holes. It's actually 157.5 courses...and yeah, it's bad, and I think the probability is you're right about everything.

 

2013 was the 8th straight year in which more courses closed than new courses open. Worse still, what is being opened is high-end private and/or resort courses, while the bulk of what's being closed now are lower cost public courses...the kind of places that attract new golfers and recreational golfers. The industry is screwing itself sideways. Guys with lots of money are like low handicappers...there just aren't enough of them to support an entire industry. More than ever the game needs the guys its alienating.

 

Is it any wonder that the game lost (NET loss) 400K golfers last year...and from the more bad news department, 200K of the golfers who walked away were between the ages of 18 and 34. Golf is a game without a next generation right now, and I can't foresee any program that can reinvigorate it.

 

We can talk about slow play, and cost, and everything else, but I'm coming around to believing that golf's problems are symptomatic of the overall decline of the American middle class. The rich keep getting richer, and everyone else stops playing golf. Not to get into a rant about the state of the economy or anything, but the reality is that in the parts of the world where the middle class is growing, golf is growing. Correlation is not causation, but I think there's something to it.

 

Apart from the financial issues, golf faces far too much competition. I have a small family. There are 3 of us. Figure a round of golf would run us something around a$150. A trip to six flags is roughly the same (all day vs. 5 hours). Conservatively season's passes for six flags would run us about $300. A family membership...again, conservatively $3000 and that's before minimums and what not. 10X...and a whole lot less fun for the kid. Toss in things like video games, traveling sports teams (a relatively new phenomenon that's redonk expensive), and well, golf doesn't make much financial sense for anyone.

 

And here's the rub...as membership and play decline, operating costs don't fluctuate much. The grass still has to watered and mowed. Prices go up to offset the lack of play...fewer play...golfers stop coming altogether...courses close. Like I said, the industry is screwing itself.

 

The game isn't going away, but we haven't come close to reaching bottom yet. You're going to see contraction and consolidation. It's the Catholic church without the kiddie diddlers.

 

And yes...as Apprenti says, that's going to trickle down throughout the industry. Nobody wants to say it (and I applaud Apprenti for sacking up and doing just that), there absolutely are too many PGA Professionals. The game can't support them. I feel for the guys, and the industry as a whole, but it doesn't make it any less true.

 

I'm not sure what the current crop of apprentices are going to do, because the future isn't bright.

 

It's going to trickle down to what we do as well. Media trips will surely be reduced, and the invited guest lists will shrink. The free equipment party for smaller blogs is going to come to a very sudden end, and only those with a large audience and the proverbial unique value proposition will thrive.

 

So yeah...Dick's fired 550 or so golf pros. They also canned all of Golf Galaxy's district managers. And I'm telling you right now...write this down, so I can say I told you so later, this 'Dick's thing' is Chapter 1 of the biggest equipment story since MyGolfSpy went online. Big...big...big changes are coming, and they'll be felt industry wide.

This is all terrible news. All of it. But thanks for the details, T.
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The program that reinvigorates golf is called age.  It would be interesting to look at golf as it relates to life cycles.  Except for a year in college, where I played daily for class, I carried my clubs to the moving van more often than to the course.  18-34 year olds are in college, or just starting a family, or a career.  They for the most part are still active, perhaps in other sports or activities and have to decide where to spend time and money.  Many have children and at first they must share in the parental duties, and later take on a leadership role in the children's interest.  They spend their time as Scout Leaders and Softball Coaches or simply hauling kids to and fro.

 

Once the kids begin to branch out on their own the parents begin to have time to pursue their own interests. Many come back to golf because they suddenly have free time and are no longer in condition to join the men's softball league.

 

The lucky guys are the ones who had children interested in Golf and were able to bring their kids to the course and play and bond with their children in a way that no other sport or activity that I can think of. 

 

So in my uninformed opinion there are two areas where golf can grow.  The first is to attract the Parent/Child combinations with more Parent/Child tournaments.  And the second is to go after the 35-40 year olds who have never played before with some type of Men's night or beginners leagues or some beginners range thing.  It is a big step for 30-40 yo someone who can't hit a ball to pick up the game, but if there was some "Open Range" thing to attract them out.  A session in the bar afterwards would reenforce the "social side" and perhaps get more of these people coming in or back.

 

As people who played golf as a child, even poorly, like me, age, we generally start to return to the course as life allows us more time to do so.  We will generally link up with the other parents who we have known over the years as we have suffered kids concerts, and ball games, and recitals and will ultimately play more and more as time dictates.

 

I did not even address the money issue, because in reality, there are cheap alternatives to money, there is no alternative for time.

 

Bazinga!  My wife made precisely the same point last night.  Granted, she made me feel kinda dumb while doing it, but that's just how she rolls….

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

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Maybe it's just around here, but I just don't see the game shrinking. Our courses are always packed. Weekdays after 3pm is all leagues and Weekends you have to book tee times at least 3 days before.

 

I do think RR hit the nail on the head though. I started when I was 27. It took 2 years for me to actually play semi regularly though, roughly the same time I joined this forum.

 

Had I know I could return a full set of clubs at Costco, I might have started sooner though...

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Sorry guys...not buying the totality of the age and being at in in-between point in life argument. That has always been a factor, but golf has never seen a demographic void like there is right now.

 

Absolutely, there is some of that, but the demands are higher than ever (traveling sports teams have cost my club some members). There's too much other s*** for everybody to do, and most of it offers way more bang for the buck.

 

It's real simple...I talk to the  guys who have played for ever...who have been at the same club forever. Many of these guys have been where they are since they were 18, and they tell the same story...we used to have young guys, and now we don't. 

 

It makes sense that there would be fewer of the so-called young professionals, but we're talking about a virtual non-existence right now. 

 

Saddest thing I've ever heard came from a long-time member at my club.

 

"I'm going to die and nobody is going to replace me".

Ask around guys...I'm told it's never been this bad.

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Maybe it's just around here, but I just don't see the game shrinking. Our courses are always packed. Weekdays after 3pm is all leagues and Weekends you have to book tee times at least 3 days before.

 

I do think RR hit the nail on the head though. I started when I was 27. It took 2 years for me to actually play semi regularly though, roughly the same time I joined this forum.

 

Had I know I could return a full set of clubs at Costco, I might have started sooner though...

 

 

Bear in mind that you live in close proximity to a major metropolitan area. The Boston area is fortunate in that the demand exceeds the supply, but it's not like that everywhere. I'm much more rural now, and we have an absolute abundance of golf. Weekend tee times are easy to get, and though most courses are far from empty, they're not what they used to be.

 

I do also believe the NGF's numbers are skewed. Many private courses are really struggling (pay as you go makes more sense for a lot of guys), and that's where I think the most immediate impact is being felt. Why buy a cow if you're only going to drink a few gallons a year?

 

We can all talk about what we observe locally, but every national metric...participation, open vs. close, retail sales numbers, etc. all point to an industry in decline. There's no debate.

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I do not have any "hard data", just anecdotal evidence. I have worked in the same golf shop for the past 10+ years, and been in the golf business since 1995. Without a doubt, the median age of my customers has gone up. Dramatically. I just do not see the younger crowd coming in for equipment like I used to even 5 years ago, and certainly not like 15 years ago.

Driver - Ping G430 Max 9° | Ventus Blue TR 
Hybrid - :srixon-small: ZX 16° & 18° | GD Tour IZ S

2 Iron - :srixon-small: ZU65 17° | AeroTech SteelFiber 110icw S

Irons -  :srixon-small: ZX7 MKII  4-Pw | TTDGTI S400, std length  1° flat
Wedges - :cleveland-small: RTX 6 Tour Rack 50° 54° 58° | TTDGTI S400, std length 1° flat

Putter -  L.A.B. Golf Link.1 | LA Golf P135 shaft | Garsen Quad Tour grip
 

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FWIW, I love to play, but I've considered giving up the game a few times myself, especially in the last 6 months.  Costs to play here are going up ( dramatically ), the courses are become borderline player hostile with pricing and policies. There is an uptick on old fartery going on that frustrates me to the point that sometimes I just don't want to to deal with them.

 

 

Examples:

 

Last year the average round price in the area was $35.  This year I struggle to play rounds for less than 60 any place that isn't my home course.  Even there, my monthly that was 264 last year is now just a few dollars short of 500.  A beer that was borderline wallet rape at 4.50 is now 6.00.  Food?  even worse.  4 sodas.  39 for NXT's.  24.99 for Pinnacle Golds.  

 

And the old fartery?  65 year old's with 14 handicaps shooting 68's when there is money or tournament golf, while posting 85's most of the year? Crotchety lazy old farts that quite happily walk all of gods green earth, but *have* to have flags so they can play 90* when it's cart path only. These same old farts wearing out younger players for not meeting their 'dress codes'.  I'm not talking ragged cut offs, but $80 Adidas Golf shorts that happen to have cargo pockets ( tasteful ones ). These same old farts appear to have forgotten decency (saying stuff to the young girls working the courses that goes beyond inappropriate). They've forgotten how to tip for decent service.  Exemplary service?  I've seen these guys tip $.50 yes, that half a collar, two quarters to guys that have unloaded bags from cars, put them on carts, pulled the carts out front, refilled drinks, cleaned clubs, and delivered them back to the car, all with a smile.

 

And then you have the attempts to bring in younger players by these old farts, who will bend every rule they can, while being complete arses to the new players about every stitch of the rules.

 

My personal favorite is 'play it down' but playing 'lift clean and cheat....  err, place'.

 

Yeah, we can whip the industry, it deserves a lot of whipping, but the culture among a lot of the older players bears every bit as much blame as the industry that feeds them.

Dru - Owner, President & Janitor, Druware Software Designs

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