Burdizzo said:
Quote:
But golf's popularity has declined in recent years, as younger generations haven't taken to the game with the same level of enthusiasm as their predecessors. Golf participation peaked in 2001, when nearly 30 million people played more than 500 million rounds; in 2017, that figure dropped to nearly 24 million people playing about 450 million rounds, according to the National Golf Foundation.
From the wsj article I posted
That blurb was speaking specifically about the younger generation.
I played maybe 4 times a year over the last 10 years. The last two years, I've played 10-12 rounds a year and am on track for 20 this year. Why? I have more income, am mostly out of debt, and dropping $80 twice a month is no biggie anymore. This is the case for a lot of young golfers.
Look at the junior golf numbers and senior golfers numbers in my last post.
Golf isn't getting less popular, it's just not as easily affordable as it was 10+ years ago for people who don't have a lot of disposable income.
Country clubs are closing because the model is outdated, like a mall. You don't need a place with a crappy gym, tennis courts, a pool, and a restaurant. There's a million choices for working out, rec acitvities, eating, and everyone has 3-4 friends with neighborhood amenities. Plus, not as many people want to drop 5-10k plus $300 - $500 a month to play the same course over and over again.