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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Shorter, easier, cheaper, better
ROSLYN, Wash. -- It takes too long and it's too tough.
That's become a common refrain in these days of closing golf courses and stagnant growth and industry officials are listening.
So after years of seeing high-end, challenging golf courses being built, and many of them founder because they failed to target the correct demographic, design concepts are changing to make courses easier to play to accommodate the recreational golfer who doesn't like paying hundreds of dollars to card scores in the 100s.
"People have too much fun playing on golf courses that are a little easier to play and not so long," said Bob Cupp, president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. "Those two things, there is a message there that is loud and clear."
The shift in design philosophy is part of an overall reassessment of the game aimed at curbing the trend where first-timers are picking up clubs at the same rate that other players are putting them in storage.
Ideas are coming from all corners of the golf world, whether it is the creation of different, shorter routing options from the traditional 18-hole setup or a push to play a proper set of tees for the golfer's skill level -- a program called "Tee It Forward" being backed by the PGA of America.
All these new ideas are good for the game, but also highlight the disconnect between developers, course designers and the actual player who was misinterpreted or misunderstood for much of two decades.
"One of the reasons we've lost golfers is because we've lost recreational golfers. We haven't lost the golfer who wants to be highly challenged. He's still playing golf. But all we've done is built golf courses for him," said designer Jim Hardy, who along with Peter Jacobsen constructed Rope Rider in Roslyn, Wash., which is receiving raves for its friendly design. "All the recreational golfers are saying it costs too much to do this anymore and it takes too much time, I'm going to find another outlet for my recreation..."
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 8, 2012 B12
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