Jack Nicklaus (AGAIN) on Tuesday at the HSBC Golf Business Forum in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida said the reason golf courses are closing is because golf balls go too far.
Wait. What?
Here is what Nicklaus actually said, “Fact is, more golf courses have closed in the U.S. in each of the last 10 years than have opened. This is thanks in great part to changes in the golf ball and the distance it travels.”
HIS SOLUTION: create golf balls designed for each and every golf course.
Jack might not be aware of this (you would think he would be though), but Jack you actually make one of the longer balls in golf. The Nicklaus Black. And not that is NOT the reason courses are closing.
These statements always baffle me. Don’t get me wrong Jack is the greatest, but the fact our industry continues to look to these 3-5 famous “golfers” for the answer to the games problems when what they say makes almost no sense in terms of actually solving the problem, just makes well…no sense. They are not the answer to golf courses closing or the game shrinking.
Here is the funny thing about evolution: it never stops. Not even for Jack or Tiger. This game and every other game ever invented and our species will continue to evolve. If not…well, that is when it dies. Moving back to a more primitive version of ourselves or this game is what is called de-evolution and it is NOT the answer. The sooner they relaize this (they won’t) the sooner our game moves in a more healthy direction. And there is your reason for why golf is dying. It is quite simple. It has failed to evolve and if it continues it will end up extinct just like the dinosaur it is becoming.
Evan
7 years ago
Albeit Jack is a great ambassador of golf, he has to stop talking about what is “killing” golf. The ball that travels too far only relates to those that hit it square (about 7% of the worlds golf population). To blame the length of the courses, which Nicklaus Design has hammered out many plus 7000 yard courses, is about as intelligent as the Big 3 auto makers blaming car accidents on the combustion engine!
Jack has in the past 5 years came up with 8-15 inch cups, 12 hole golf courses, and now the length of the course and size, weight, and distance of ball. Seems to me that Nicklaus Golf may be suffering in the equipment ring (not really the best quality product to begin with) so they are looking for a reason to make a new golf ball to make up ground in a failing market.
The reason golf is suffering, in my opinion, is that society has made the newer generation so hyper focused on perfection, that when it is not achieved on a first try, and we don’t get a participant ribbon (12th place, you know who you are) then we don’t want to try. The newer generation of kids is afraid to fail, so why start if the frustration isn’t worth the effort? “If at once you don’t succeed, try, try, again” is no longer an option with millennials every where. The new norm is “you are perfect, even if you don’t get it at first”. BS! The finished product is a direct co-relation to the sweat equity. When I was 15, learning golf, I held a 21 handicap, but I wanted to be better. I put years into my game, and by the time I was 21 I was a 2 handicap. It gets easier when you stick with it.
Kids now will not put 6 years into anything. If they don’t hit it like Rory first try, it’s stupid! Thanks to Mr. Nicklaus for your input, but society is ruining golf by not enstilling into youth an attitude of “if you want it bad enough, go get it!” Stop making excuses and let’s find a way to sell the game for what it is…Hard work, that pays off in the end if you stick with it! That’s my 2 cents.