Attracting millennials to golf through the mainstream
Golf has a big quandary on its hands. Participation has been in decline for several years. So what can be done with the power of TV to give things a boost? New, innovative formats? Different courses? Bring more personality and relatability out of the players? Golf has always been slow to develop and embrace new ways of doing things, but now there’s a new generation of cash poor millennials it somehow has to attract in order to guarantee the future prosperity of the sport. Not easy.
So let’s take a look at what can lighten things up, and make golf a little more popular to the masses…
The players
The social media era has helped bring players closer to fans. So that’s positive. In the ladies’ game things have gone a step further, with the Twitter handle of the player appearing on the bib of their caddie encouraging fans to connect with their favourites.
We’ve also seen golfers in the pro ranks coming out of their shell a bit more (remember that Golf Boys video from a few years back?). Earlier this year we were given an insight into the spring break of Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and co as they took to the course in the Bahamas for some alcohol-fuelled hijinks too.
You might also remember some of those very ‘ungolf-like’ moments in recent years too. Like when Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter drove off the first hole to rapturous cheers in the Saturday morning foursomes at the 2012 Ryder Cup. Though it hasn’t become the norm since, it at least brought a different dimension to the first tee atmosphere and etiquette.
Factor all that in and you have to say the players are doing their bit to make golf as appealing to the younger generation as possible so we’ll let them off the hook…
The courses
Where do the courses fit into all this? First up we need to separate the iconic courses and put them to one side. So Augusta National, St. Andrew’s, Pebble Beach and the like should not all of a sudden be subjected to a fleet of diggers in the interests of making golf more interesting.
In fact, as far as the PGA Tour is concerned — there is a strong brand built on the foundation of old, traditional courses of varying yardages and hazards. Each one holds a rich set of memories whether it’s moments, champions or otherwise (a personal favourite of mine is when this seagull plucked Brad Fabel’s ball from the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass, eventually dropping it into the surrounding lake).
If we look to Europe, a considered push to grow the game in new countries has even led to 3 out of 4 of the final tour events in recent years being staged outside of the continent. Not to mention extra events in China, South Korea and co-sanctioned events with the Asian Tour. Often these courses are relatively new — so they’ll take some time to build up some heritage. Do audiences miss out from tournaments no longer being held at iconic venues in mainland Europe? Arguably.
So can courses be tinkered with to make things more interesting? Definitely. Should they be? Probably not.
Formats
This is where things get a bit more interesting…
On an ordinary tour year there’s only around 3 or 4 events which are not 72 hole strokeplay. So not very many. There’s no doubt strokeplay tends to create its fair share of drama and excitement, but we’re also talking about a format which has been around for well over a hundred years. When there are around 50 other formats of the game out there it’s a little mystifying as to why there aren’t more on display.
Other formats have attempted to reinvent the game. Back in 2007, Powerplay Golf was first introduced. The concept, devised by multiple Walker Cup Captain Peter McAvoy and his associates involves 2 flags; 1 easy, 1 more difficult. Players can opt for the more difficult flag and double their points if they make birdie. They can only use a certain amount of ‘powerplays’ over their 9 holes and……………ok so if you’re a non-golfer you’re totally lost by this point. The format was initially well-received, but was a little too complex in practice to really take off. Even a star studded event at Celtic Manor in 2011 was unable to give the format the lift it needed to be a mainstay in the golf world.
Early in 2016, McAvoy stated there were plans for a reincarnation of Powerplay Golf to be launched. It’s unclear as to if or when this will happen.
Elsewhere a new 6 hole format has come onto the scene courtesy of Tom Critchley, son of Sky Sports commentator Bruce. Named Sprint6 Golf, the format is played over, you guessed it, 6 holes. Playing partners time each other using a mobile application and penalties are dished out if you go over the amount of time you allocate for a shot.
European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley recently announced plans to pilot a six hole competition on the tour as early as 2017. Plans to introduce music, fewer clubs and a shot clock are at the very heart of the tour’s efforts to reach out to a younger audience.
So on the face of it the format of the game is one the powers that be have focused their attention on. Now they just need to find a way to make it happen and create the same sort of buzz we’ve seen from Twenty20 cricket since its arrival.
Broadcasting
Golf is already a frustrating watch for many. Throw in a slew of ad breaks and keeping people engaged becomes difficult — especially the non-golfer.
Perhaps the tougher challenge now is getting golf to the masses. In the UK this year saw, for the first time, all 4 majors broadcast on Sky, with only highlights shown on the BBC after they pulled out of a deal to broadcast The Open Championship a year early.
Sky ploughed money and resources into their Open coup, adding some much needed zest, new features and insight into coverage of the most iconic tournament on the golfing calendar.
But no matter how much money they spend there is one thing, or more to the point one man, they’ll be hoping makes a return to the game — Tiger. When it comes to viewing figures in golf, there is no bigger draw. Take for example the relatively modest Wyndham Championship from last year. With Tiger making the cut, Saturday saw ratings of more than 220% higher than the previous year (without Tiger). Similarly Sunday saw a 160% increase on the previous year’s stats. Golf will be hoping he makes his return soon.
If we stay on the topic of ratings, experimenting with different formats has worked in the past. Back around the turn of the millennium ‘Monday Night Golf’ was launched to a huge audience. In fact, at one point it was second only in ratings to The Masters. It was a series of match play challenges (sometimes doubles) staged on, you guessed it, Monday night. Some intense tussles were played out, one in particular between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia. Another of the matches saw Woods and Annika Sorenstam take on David Duval and Karrie Webb on the floodlit layout at Bighorn. Mic’ing the players up gave an added insight to their course management, thought process and conversation between players — something viewers seldom get the opportunity to experience.
So what does the future hold?
With new formats in the offing, and as much access as spectators and viewers have experience before, golf should be well positioned to take on the economic and social challenges it now faces. Historically governing bodies have been slow to react or push for change, so arguably the biggest challenge won’t come from finding what does or doesn’t work, it’ll be having the conviction to try in the first place.
