Recently Strolan and I had a throw-down on speed in golf (here) It’s a fun conversation and all, but one of the aspects of the debate that gets overshadowed is that golf is a recreational sport, yet all of the rules are focused and bent towards the 1 percent that cash a check on the sport.
To put this in better perspective, this would be like the Department of Transportation deciding to adopt the rules of NASCAR or Formula One racing for all road going cars.This is of course absurd, although might make your commute more interesting.
Golf is run as if we are all in racing cars and as such we should all adhere to the same rules. We are not. I guarantee you, all race cars. I’m a Toyota Tercel at best. This begs the question: do the people running the show actually know what the business of golf is – I think not.
The business of golf is the recreational play of the game which comprises 99 percent of the game and includes course management, Equipment manufacture, and instruction/coaching. The tours are entertainment/marketing. No other sport treats its main customer with more disdain.
To illustrate this point let me entertain you with this scenario. The PGA and all other tours collectively decide to stop – no more tour golf. Now how many of you would respond to this by cancelling your next tee time or stop playing golf altogether? Any one? Any one? Bueller? Of course no one would just say “what’s the point of the game if I can’t watch incredibly gifted athletes play it” We would all solder on.
Now if the inverse were true, that all recreational golfers just gave up the game all at once in some grand collective action, well then, there would not be a tour. Full stop. There is no tour without recreational golfers.
So now that we have established that the recreational golfer is the most important stakeholder what do we do?
Well for starters I suggest going to the equipment guys and ask what they could do outside of the box the current rules put them in. Then maybe survey mens and womens groups on where they are suffering in their play. Essentially get some data so that we can bend the rules and regulations towards the majority of golfers. Less frustration with the game will mean more growth for the game. Which I thought was the whole point.
Now you may be wondering about the Tours. Because if we make the game easier through technology/equipment won’t that mean a 300 yard 8 iron? No, because as Strolan pointed out in our podcast, local rules allow for any of the tech to be excluded as the tours see fit Or as the new CEO of the PGA said, “Making a rule book that is adjusted by the competition committee on an ongoing basis, much like the NFL, is a possibility” and I think they should, as it would give the USGA and other governing bodies in golf the room to focus on the other 99 percent, AKA you and me.
So in conclusion,I will leave you with this small example. If you have a rangefinder with slope (it can calculate the distance change for elevation) it can be used in most competitions because there is a visible off switch for the feature.You cannot use a rangefinder in competition at all on the PGA tour. So how is that different then having hotter drivers or other equipment that is marked in this way, and let the tours decide what makes sense for them?
But then again what do I know, i’m just the holyduffer. As always may the fairways be with you!