Reed On The Greens May 8, 2020
Growing Junior Golf No Easy Task
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com
Opening our golf courses in Southwestern Ontario as we live with the coronavirus pandemic is obviously the biggest challenge facing the local golf industry. But growing the game is without a doubt a monumental task.
Junior golfers represent the future of the game, so it makes sense that the entire golf industry is looking at new ways to ensure golf participation remains healthy. But added detriments to growing golf make this a huge challenge.
Until recently, every study pointed to lack of funds as the biggest obstacle to growing golf. But recent studies now list lack of time as the number one reason why people of all ages – including youngsters – aren’t golfing as much as they have in the past, and are giving up the game entirely.
Canada is a golfing nation. The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) says more people golf than play hockey in Canada. But the NAGA says while there are an estimated 5.7 million golfers in our country who play an estimated 60 million rounds per year, participation rates have decreased over the past several years.
(L-R): Junior Tyson Tour 2019 Bantam Boys champion Logan Battersby, Girls champ Jillian Friyia, Junior Boys champ Ben Landers, Juvenile Boys champ John Orlebar. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com.
The recent Canadian Golf Consumer Behaviour Study, commissioned by the NAGA, says golf growth is stagnant. The study says only 7 per cent of today’s golfers have a child aged 6-11 who plays golf, and just 9 per cent have a junior golfer aged 12-17 who plays.
Other studies have pointed to junior girls as the only demographic representing an increase in golf participation in Canada. But according to Golf Ontario executive director Mike Kelly, “It’s interesting that the female segment offers the biggest opportunity for growth, but it’s also our biggest issue when it comes to retention.”
Golf Ontario has tabled a new four-year strategic plan with one common theme: Ontario’s 805 golf facilities must play a larger role in sustaining participation and in drawing more people – in particular, women and girls – to the game.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Kelly said, “Golf Ontario can’t grow the game alone. The reality is, it takes a village to grow the game in any community, and it takes golf courses working together. It’s going to take people in the community to get involved, like we see in minor hockey.”
Steve Bennett, Mike Weir’s coach while the 2003 Masters Tournament winner played his junior golf at Huron Oaks Golf Club in Bright’s Grove, Ont., has been a champion of junior golf since he entered the golf industry in 1978. In addition to overseeing the City of London’s municipal golf system, Bennett also operates the Junior Tyson Tour (est. 1968), Canada’s longest-running tour for junior golfers.
As teenagers, Bennett and Weir both spent their entire days at the golf course – Bennett at Seaforth Golf and Country Club, where he was fortunate enough to have plenty of friends to play with – as did Weir at Huron Oaks. Industry insiders say that’s the biggest reason why teen girls give up the game: lack of playing partners. And on the Tyson Tour, it’s common to see only a handful of girls competing for prizes.
“Keeping junior girls in the game has always been a problem since I’ve been involved with golf,” Bennett explained, “and it will continue to be a problem. But we have to keep trying to attract them to the sport.”
Tyson Tour graduate Mackenzie Butzer of Chatham was the exception. As a talented 18 year old playing out of Maple City Country Club, she won all seven of her 2013 Tyson Tour events and captured her third girls overall title (2010, 2012-13). Only London’s Ann Marie Kovacs (1991-93) and Jillian Friyia (2017-19) have won three overall championships.
Butzer went on to lead NCAA Division I Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. to four straight women’s team titles, and captured two straight individual titles before coaching with her alma mater.
“I’m from a small town, and it could have been hard to find people to play with,” Butzer said, “but I played with the guys. I wasn’t intimidated, but most girls would be. They may be shy, or feel ashamed that they aren’t as good as the boys.
“Golf can be an expensive game, too,” she said, “and there are so many other things for kids to do today.”
According to Bennett, because golf is a seasonal sport, and because kids are stuck to their screens today, then it’s up to adults to make the game fun and to mentor young golfers.
“Sports have changed with kids today,” Bennett explained. “Now baseball is also a winter sport with indoor workouts. Hockey is a summer sport with camps. But unfortunately, golf is only a summer sport. You can practice, but you can’t play here. It’s not the same. So it’s important that we keep kids active, and get rid of the technology. Let them run around and have fun!”
Hank Haney once had the most coveted coaching job in golf when he was Tiger Woods’ swing coach from 2004-10. While Woods was a child prodigy, most junior golfers simply play the game for fun and enjoy friendly competition. Haney said if we’re going to keep kids involved in the game, then both parents and golf professionals must find ways to make it enjoyable.
Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com.
“Obviously you have to make it fun for them, and it’s fun when their friends play,” Haney said. “At any age, people like to do what they do well. So helping them get better at the game is a big part of it, too.
“Adults embracing the juniors is a big key, because there’s no reason why the kids can’t play with the adults, too. And I think that’s one of the great things about the game of golf,” he said. “When you’re a junior golfer, and you’re around the golf course and around adults, I see kids maturing a lot faster. And it’s nice to see adult golfers take junior golfers under their wings.”
According to a new research report published by the R&A, there is a big opportunity to grow the game of golf if the industry can attract more women, girls and families to playing the sport more often. One of the key themes identified in the report is the importance of establishing the optimum environment for family participation by being aware of the makeup of the modern family.
The Canadian Golf Consumer Behaviour study suggests golfers come in young and enthused, but as they get older they begin to lose some enthusiasm. And as they continue to age, they tend to get more disillusioned and begin to leave the game.
It’s important, then, to make the game fun for all ages – not just youngsters – if golf is to experience growth. As Kelly said, it’s going to take a village to grow the game of golf.
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Three-time author Jeffrey Reed is an award-winning golf journalist who has covered the game for more than 40 years. Reach him at jeff@londonontariogolf.com.
