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Golf Industry Growth:Are Golfers being Given What They Need?Golf Industry Growth depends on two basic issues:1) Whether people have a desire to go to a golf course to play the game of golf. 2) Whether people who want to go to a golf course to play golf are actually allowed or able to do so. That all sounds pretty simple, right? From a marketing viewpoint, the solution to golf industry growth seems fairly obvious - promote the game. And with a likeable champion like Tiger Woods going around, the game seems assured of steady growth for at least another 10 or 15 years, while he is still winning major championships. Not necessarily. To figure out if the game of golf really is in good stead, one has to evaluate it in terms of what it is and what it does for us. What is the Purpose of Golf?More specifically, the question might be "what does golf give to humanity?" If this can be adequately answered, it will enable us to figure out whether the golf industry growth is likely to continue.To put this question into context, you can look at other sports. Since most sports evolved towards the end of man's basic battle with the wild environment, it can be assumed that most sports give humans the interest, excitement and adrenaline rush that was previously needed and used simply to survive. The drive that was previously used in pursuits such as killing animals for food and avoiding other animals who want to kill you for food is now used for sports. It is a known fact that society has evolved much quicker than our own human physiology, and thus we are left with primordal instincts and urges, the results of which would be considered fairly anti-social were they not able to be satisfied by things such as playing and watching sport. Think about it. In our hi-tech age, is it logical that people who can kick a ball into a net, or who can hit a little white ball into a hole, are some of the most revered people of our modern society?It is totally illogical, unless what they do satisfies some subconscious, primordal need.In addition, it could be argued that the greatest value of some sports is actually the spinoff created by the research undertaken by those involved in its industry. Motor racing might fit into that category. Not only does the speed and competition create an adrenalne rush, but the research has been responsible for a great many design innovations used by motorists everyday. So where does golf fit in? And what of golf industry growth? Golf's nature-based environment and the launching of a projectile, with distance and accuracy as the key, lend itself to certain marksman type pursuits. This even extends to the custom of the crowd remaining still and quiet during a shot, as one would when preparing to shoot at a wild animal. Are there any spinoff benefits that could drive golf industry growth? Not many physical ones, and those that do exist are not particulary valuable, since most of the ball and club technology is borrowed from other applications such as the aerospace field. Many old golf courses near city centres now actually exist as some of the only large tracts of land which give evidence of the existing land before the build up of cities. In this way it could be argued that continued golf industry growth provides some environmental preservation value. But it appears that golf's main purpose is in providing these marksman type conditions for human use. So the question remains: Why is Golf So Popular?Compared to most other sports with more defined playing fields, golf is very freeform in nature and open to many localised conditions that do not affect most other organised sports. Think of tennis, football, baseball, etc and one can see that success depends more directly on the sporting attributes of the participants rather than on the way those attributes relate to the playing field. After all, one tennis court or football field is fairly similar to the next.The fact that this is not so with golf throws up a few unique issues: 1) It is necessary for a high degree of integrity to be exercised by the participants. If that was not the case it would be impossible to police any competition and the whole game would turn into a joke. Its Kind of like your conscience in normal life. 2) The nuances of any golf course make it quite unpredictable compared to other sports. Even with the high standard of modern day maintenance, golf courses regularly throw up unique situations that golfers must simply take in their stride, if they are to be succesful. 3) The playing and scoring systems enable rank amateurs to play alongside low handicappers or pro golfers, enabling both of them to get something positive out of the experience. It is these key issues which see golf virtually unparalelled in terms of a sporting analogy for life. This appeals to many people, and is one of the factors that has driven golf industry growth in the past. It is no coincidence that golf is the "corporate game" because it offers businesspeople an enjoyable way to sharpen their minds, encouraging patience, guile, self control and calculated risk. The Meaning of GolfAccording to the above reasoning, it obviously follows that the real, true and best purpose of golf is to aid in the evolution of the people who play it.Golf is not here to give scientists a reason to develop the longest and most accurate hitting balls and clubs, it is not here to make money for golf pros, its highest value is as a training ground and a "mirror" to teach and show people how to approach life. For example golf design strategy has a part to play in golf industry growth by making sure that average golfers receive the most beneficial life lessons as they play the game. So, as one of the foremost life experience teaching aids on earth, how is the golf industry situated, and is golf industry growth assured?
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