[Daryl]

I apologize for unnerving you.

However, I disagree. I don’t think that the golf industry is in any danger. This is a big country-world and some places may not be doing as well as others and in some places better.

I think that the golf industry (manufacturing) is creative and can re-invent itself if and when needed.

When you talk about teachers and golf courses, I get the impression that you have mistakenly placed them all in the same category. I’ve met some caring teachers (even if not knowledgeable) and I’ve played at well managed and profitable golf courses. But, alas, they are the minority. However, that is not the Sports fault. Poor management is everywhere. People take lessons from poor teachers, and they may quit the teacher, but they don’t quit golf. It may only be the world that I live in, but I haven’t met an ex-golfer in many years.

Clinics are cool. You can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Some will continue, some will not. The high-schools in my area of the country have Soccer as a team sport, but I don’t see any thirty-something’s playing in the park down the street on weekends, or taking Wednesday off to play Soccer because they just can’t wait to run hard for an hour or two.

I suppose, but I can only speak for myself, that if something is popular, then people will live with a little discomfort to get it. When I see practice ranges full of people, with bleeding hands, continuing to try, not giving up, even during the weeks, months, and years that they don’t improve, then I think the sport is POPULAR.

Private country clubs are not growing (not including Florida). The state of health of the private country club is poor. Most of these have a serious problem, and all of the members, boards of directors and Head pro can’t seem to solve.

I’ll tell you what I think the problem is. STAGNATION. The Private Clubs, head Pro’s, are stagnant. They have been spoon feed for so long that they forgot how to hunt. They have no new ideas, no effort. They have no want. No desire. They don’t care. They would rather crouch in their bars, hide behind doors, pretend that they don’t have a problem, etc, so long as they don’t have to go out in public and market their product. They are placeholders. There needs to be a culling. Maybe the do-nothing teachers and do-nothing golf courses will quit, and make room for aspiring individuals to take their place.

Compare some of the people on this site to others in the industry. There aren’t many people out there like the people in here. I’ve read more about golf than all the Head pros at all three Private Country Clubs I belong to. Each club has a dozen Tournaments per year run mostly by the assistant pros. At two of the clubs, ask the Head pro to do something and you get a look of disbelief. Of the three clubs, guess which one is doing best? Guess which one earns more money?

Golf is many industries. The manufacturers have done a great job. Course management and Teaching is another story all together. The media; are you kidding? They can’t count their money, it’s too much. The PGA, now I know you’re kidding.