This is my first personal post in our brand new blog! So I better choose an important topic. I will later on continue to write about this big theme, but of course, also about ordinary (read: less serious) golf topics.
PGA of America’s initiative called Golf 2.0 is indeed very welcome. They describe Golf 2.0 as “the new comprehensive, strategic plan that is designed to retain and strengthen core players, bring former players back, and welcome new golfers to the game”. The chosen theme slogan for 2012 is “Friends, Family, Fun”. Sounds good.
This makes me glad as this is exactly what Golf GameBook is all about. When we were founding our company we had discussion of this kind with my co-founder Mikko Manerus. We care about this game and wish to find a way to support the future of golf. The important question is ‘what we need to do to save golf?”, in other words, golf needs to change.
Why is that? Millions of people love golf, but the statistics are not looking good. Only in the USA golf lost 4,6 million people in 2010. The European figures are going down as well. And at the same time less and less woman start to play golf, or quit quite soon after trying it out. At about 20 percent of the golfer population, ladies remain underrepresented in golf.
Golf is inherently social; we enjoy playing together and sharing the success and bad times. The sad fact is that this joy is often shared with four golfers playing together and writing the scores on cards. And perhaps celebrating at the clubhouse afterwards. Not easy to share with the other golfers in the network.
What can be done? A lot. To discuss about this is one thing and, of course, there are many other ways. The idea that we have is to support the growth of the global golf community with the latest mobile technology combined with social media. With a little help from the technology we can bring players together – despite of the time and place – and this way enable more social golf experience. We need to share more and have the doors open.
One of my heroes, Jack Nicklaus is one of the brains behind the Golf 2.0 initiative, and he says it so well in a PGA interview:
“I care about this game; it’s given me so many great things for me and my family through the years. This initiative is not a PGA of America initiative; it’s not a Jack Nicklaus initiative. This is a golf industry initiative, because it is a golf industry issue. We all have a stake in this. Whatever happens is because of all of us. It’s our future.”
Indeed, “whatever happens is because of all of us. It’s our future.” I have nothing to add.
–Kalle
Related reading:
Article about Golf 2.0 on the PGA website
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