During the acrimonious split between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf one phrase that consistently reappeared was ‘growing the game’. Those behind the breakaway league would often use it to explain how, initially at least, the shortened format behind LIV was going to open golf up to a new army of sports fans.
I could see their point but could also understand the collective eye-rolling from many quarters as the players simultaneously pocketed vast sums to make the switch. I’m not going to write about the validity, or otherwise, of that argument but instead I want to comment on why growing the game is becoming increasingly important for all of us.
Here, I’m going to use the phrase ‘growing the game’ to refer to how we increase the number of juniors playing golf. To my mind, this is becoming increasingly important, not just because as the Editor of Golf Monthly I’d like to see golf thrive, but because playing golf offers a sustained break from the virtual world.
Quite simply, the combination of smart phones and social media has transformed the experience of childhood. Building a strategy that enables kids to consistently engage in the ‘real world’ is a challenge that most parents are grappling with. This is where sport, and golf in particular, comes in. Spending hours outside, safely competing with friends feels like the perfect antidote to the increasing level of digital-world creep.
Over the last few months I’ve been genuinely encouraged to see more and more young people playing golf at my home club. Whilst my guess is that this is being led by the parents, my experience would suggest the children are embracing it. Groups of youngsters regularly playing together is proof that golf has something very welcome to offer today’s children.
What are your thoughts on this? Please let me know in the comments box below. My feeling is that social media has plenty of good to offer but it shouldn't ever completely replace the real world experiences that mould characters and develop resilience. That's where golf can play a role - and, as parents, knowing how to get our kids into golf is important.
I've played since I was 7 years old and the game has given me some fantastic highs and painful lows (of course, this is all relative but those tough experiences felt hard to swallow at the time). Have those highs and lows helped me in my life..? Yes, I think they probably have.
That brings me onto the growing influence of Bryson DeChambeau. The American straddles two hugely successful but clearly contrasting careers - professional golfer and content creator. Bryson is unique and for many young people he represents a high level professional golfer who is willing to meet them on their patch, YouTube.
Whatever you think of DeChambeau, his game and his content, it is impossible not to see the impact he’s having. If he continues adding to his following, helping the game to feel relevant and inspiring more non-golfers to give it a try, Bryson will have done more than just about anyone to grow the game. As long as we (and by ‘we’ I’m referring to experienced golfers), can do our part to welcome these new faces as they arrive at a local level, then the effects will be even more profound than inspiring the next generation of golfers. That has to be a good thing.
