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  • November 30, 1999

Archives For November 30, 1999

Blogging everything under the sun and on the course related to the greatest game ever played.

Millennial Golf Benefits from FootGolf’s Rise in Popularity

June 25, 2014 — Leave a comment

It’s a perfect summer Sunday afternoon, and you’re enjoying the sun and the company of your best friends on the golf course. Maybe you have a small side wager with someone in the group, and you’re all square heading to the 18th tee. Your competitor grooves one right through the heart of the fairway, but your driver fails you for the first time all day, leaving your tee shot directly behind a tree in the left rough.

So what do you do now: shape a three iron punch shot around the tree, play a bump-and-run safely into the fairway or … pull the foot wedge out of the bag? There are a million rules in golf, and the last option is a blatant violation of some kind. But what if it wasn’t?

In FootGolf, the trusty foot wedge is the only option on every shot. Founded in 2011, the American FootGolf League is one of the most rapidly growing new sports in the U.S. By combining the most popular sport in the world with the traditional game of golf, FootGolf has seen high participation rates among millennials.

Millennial Golf - FootGolf (2)

Photos Courtesy of the American FootGolf League

 

According to Roberto Balestrini, founder of the AFGL, 18 to 35-year-olds enjoy the sport for its laid back, social atmosphere. Balestrini has also said that FootGolf participants generally seem more interested in popping the cork off a bottle of champagne than competing.

  • 90-percent of players are between 18 and 35.
  • 35-percent of millennial footgolfers are female.
  • There are FootGolf courses in 31 states.
  • In addition to the U.S., there are FootGolf courses in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

With FootGolf on the rise, how does the synergy between this hybrid sport and the traditional game affect golf’s overall popularity? According to many accounts, FootGolf seems to be a gateway sport that is introducing many young people to golf.

“It is my job to get these young people to the course through FootGolf, and from there they naturally want to learn how to play golf,” Balestrini said passionately. “Once they are on the fairway, they never want to leave.”

Unlike golf, the majority of people — at some point in their lives — have played soccer on some level, making FootGolf a much easier sport to learn than golf. FootGolf has the potential to be golf’s bunny slope equivalent to skiing, which makes the sport much more inviting to new players.

In short, millennial golf seems to be rising in popularity alongside FootGolf.

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My Mount Rushmore of Golf

June 21, 2014 — Leave a comment

If there were three other people in the world that you would like the play 18-holes with, who would it be? Whether you’re an avid golfer or a weekend hack, you’ve probably thought about who would be in your dream foursome. Many people jump straight to the greats of the game such as Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. While my Mount Rushmore of golf doesn’t belong on the same course as Bobby Jones, Gary Player or Sam Snead, there are only three bros that make the cut.

1. Connor Parker

Golf Dream Team - Connor Parker

Famous Quote: “Hey guys, watch me power fade this drive.”

Strong Shot: Driver. Connor is the guy you have tee of last in a four-man scramble so he can pipe one 330 yards after everyone else love taps the ball safely into the middle of the fairway.

He might be the only person I’ve ever seen drive the green and six-putt for triple bogey … on multiple occasions, but I can credit this guy with getting me hopelessly addicting to the game in junior high. We have been hitting the course together ever since seventh grade when I lugged my junior set of Ram clubs with graphite shaft irons across the pristine nine-hole Colfax Country Club.

2. Dylan Berkey

Golf Dream Team - Dylan Berkey

Famous Quote: “Parker better not be hanging out with his girlfriend again.”

Strong Shot: Irons. I don’t know if I have ever seen Dylan make a shot that dropped my jaw, but I think he could find the green if you dropped him off in the middle of area 51 with nothing but a five iron a golf ball.

He was our quarterback in football, point guard in basketball and ace pitcher in baseball. So naturally is was one of our best golfers. This dude has an impressive combination of athletic ability and the mental game of a 70-year-old clubhouse rat who plays 100+ rounds per year.

3. Mitch Tomlonovic

Golf Dream Team - Mitch Tomlonovic

Famous Quote: “Is there a golf coach alive that can pronounce my name right?”

Strong Shot: Short game. Inside of 60 yards, Mitch can get up-and-down from inside a trashcan … while blindfolded. If I had a nickel for every time he said, “Is that a gimme?” after sticking his wedge shot, I wouldn’t have $15,000+ in college debt.

During our senior year of high school, Lefty lead us to an eighth-place regular season finish as a team in the state. Regardless of the time of day or weather forecast, I was never surprised to look down at my phone and see a text from Mitch that simply read, “Golf?” It’s also worth noting that King Lono holds the Colfax C.C. course record for fastest nine-hole round ever played at 27 minutes. (note: records may be inaccurate.)

4. Chase Russell

Golf Dream Team - Chase Russell

Famous Quote: “Yeah, I usually shoot in the 80s. Through 16 holes…”

Strong Shot: Punch Shot. I pride myself on the fact that I have experienced almost every bad lie imaginable. My misfortunes off the tee have given me the opportunity to hone my skills from the trees, bushes and pine needles.

I was the guy who rarely had something to brag about on the golf course, so if I out-drove Parker, stuck my approach shot inside of Berkey’s or rolled my chip closer than Mitch’s, they were going to hear about it for a while. While I rarely won, I was always up for the go-to bet: “Loser buys winner a pop.”

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What Makes Golf Different Makes it Great

June 11, 2014 — Leave a comment

Whether you’re an avid golfer, a recreational golfer or not a golfer at all, everyone has their own definition of the game. You might think that golf is the greatest game every played, but then again, you may argue that it’s not even a sport.

I’m not trying to change anyone’s opinion – in fact, I think that’s part of what makes golf great. We could ask all 25 million golfers in America what the game means to them, and I wouldn’t be shocked if we receive 25 million different answers. So rather than trying to brand the game with a single definition, we should ask: what is golf to you?

Next week marks the start of the inaugural GOLF 20/20 Ambassadors program, a network of 18 to 29-year-olds focused on determining what #GOLFIS to the millennial generation.

https://twitter.com/ChaseMRussell/status/476541586562899968

For me, #GOLFIS…

  1. Challenging: I’m not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, but the pursuit of that illusive birdie makes it worth suffering through all the double bogeys, lost balls and pond shots.
  2. Friendship: It’s the reason that I started golfing, and it’s the reason that I continue to play. So many of my favorite memories are on the golf course with my closest friends.
  3. The game of a lifetime: You can start playing as soon as someone puts a club in your hands, and you can play until you can’t pick the club up. I might be the only college students I know who’s excited to get old and play golf everyday at 5:30 a.m.
  4. A love affair: The only thing more intense than my passion for the game each summer throughout high school was my golfer’s tan. After 36 holes each day for three months, my left hand was probably whiter than my glove.
  5. Fun: Whether I’m breaking 80 – which is a big deal for me – or riding the bogey train, golf is always fun. Four or fives hours to play a round of golf might seem like a long time, but the 18th-hole always comes too soon.

Join the conversation, and tell us what #GOLFIS to you.

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Lessons from National Golf Day 2014

May 28, 2014 — Leave a comment

After landing in Boston two weeks ago to start my summer internship, I kept my bags packed for Washington D.C. and National Golf Day 2014 on May 21st. While on Capitol Hill, I had the opportunity to attend Congressional meetings, witness American government firsthand and watch lobbyist Brad Steele in action. Oh, and I also got to meet one of golf’s living legends, Jack Nicklaus.

The Nextgengolf team got to meet one of golf's living legends at National Golf Day 2014, Jack Nicklaus.

While I wasn’t hanging out with the Golden Bear, I did learn a few things. My key takeaway from the event is that golf is IMPACTFUL in a number of ways.

Economic Impact:

Sure, it’s not surprising that golf has what many might call a “profound” impact on the American economy, but the cash value of the U.S. golf industry has more zeros than a Chicago Cubs box score. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but the fact that nearly 2 million Americans depend on the game of golf to earn a living is simply amazing. What’s even better is that the majority of the folks working in golf aren’t rich course owners or golf course management tycoons; they are the food and beverage directors, clubhouse managers and groundskeepers who work 60+ hours a week to make ends meet.

  • $178.8 Billion: Total economic impact of golf in America including direct, indirect and induced impacts
  • $68.8 Billion: Total size of the U.S. golf economy
  • $55.6 Billion: Total wage income from American workers in the golf industry
  • $20.6 Billion: Total travel expenditures produced by the golf industry
  • $5.6 Billion: Total amount spent on golf supplies
  • $523 Million: Total spent on golf-related media including books, magazines, DVDs, etc.
  • 1.96 Million: Total number of Americans who work in golf
  • 15,000: Approximate number of U.S. golf facilities — more than 10,000 open to the public
  • $26: median green fee in the U.S.

***Economic Impact by State***

Charitable Impact:

Again, you might not be surprised that the game of golf generates A LOT of money for charity, but you might not know that in 2011, golf’s charitable impact was $3.9 billion, greater than the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL combined. During that year, a total of 143,000 charity events were hosted on 12,000 golf facilities across the country raising $26,300 on average!

While some of the money is reinvested into grow-the-game programs, about 95% of all money raised by golf related functions goes outside of the game to organizations such as hospitals, youth development programs and food banks.

Health Impact:

If you have every played golf on a competitive level, you may have found yourself defending the game from people who claim it’s not a sport. We can put that debate to rest now. Walking one 18-hole round of golf is the equivalent to running over three miles and could burn up to 2,000 calories — the same as a McDonald’s Big Mac, McDouble, large fries and chocolate shake.

To compare apples to apples, walking one round of golf is more physical activity than a 90 minute game of soccer. An average American man weighing 195 pounds will burn about 1400 calories on the pitch, 30-percent fewer than an 18-hole trek.

Environmental Impact:

When you’re not hitting it straight off the tee, any course can seem big, but the average 18-hole track is over 120 football fields in size. And there’s always that guy in every foursome who uses the “I just want to see the entire course” excuse when he sprays every shot in a different direction, but the nature you find on a golf course can actually be pretty cool.

I’ve often wondered, though, how much water is wasted keeping the course green, but that might surprise you as well. Only 3 out of every 20 courses use municipal water supplies, and 92-percent of facilities are using wetting agents to aid in water retention to maximize the efficiency of their water supply.

So maybe people who say golf isn’t a sport are right. It’s more than that.

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NCCGA President Interns for the World Golf Foundation, Golf 20/20

May 19, 2014 — Leave a comment

For those who don’t play the game, golf is a highly exclusive society of privileged people who earn six-figure salaries and conduct business meetings on the course. For those who do play golf, it’s just funny how people could think that. This summer, I will be working with Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, to promote the #Fun of golf through social media and redefine the way people look at the game.

GOLF.jpg

The fact is, there is no “typical golfer.” If our game will survive and grow into the future, we will have to tackle stereotypes that plague the sport. One particular demographic that the golf industry has missed out on in recent years is 18- to 29-year-olds.

According to research by the National Golf Foundation, only about 27-percent of active golfers fall into the millennial generation, while around 41-percent of the U.S. population is comprised of millennials. So where is the disconnect between golf and America’s young working adults?

Until recently, marketing efforts to generate new golfers have completely whiffed on the millennial generation, but behind the efforts of many industry leaders, the landscape of golf will be shifted immensely throughout the next several years. New ways of reaching this age range will be vital to recovering from the 30-percent decrease in participation among 18- to 34-year-olds over the past two decades.

PARTICIPATION BY AGE.png

As the Golf 20/20 intern, that’s where I come in. Alongside Nextgengolf and the World Golf Foundation, I will be working to provide social media marketing consulting to members of the golf industry who are interested in capturing the millennial generation.

So can effective social media marketing strategies return golf to it’s pinnacle? Not on it’s own. However, in addition to industry initiatives such as We Are Golf and Get Golf Ready, the missing generation might return to the game in foreseeable future. With 90-percent of 18- to 29-year-olds on social networks, the impact that social media can have on golf can not be denied.

SOCIAL NETWORKING BY AGE.png

Social Media Quick Facts:

  • 172.6 million (68.6%) Americans on social networks in 2014

  • 151.8 million (60.3%) Americans on Facebook in 2014 (next closest country is India at 108.9 million)

  • 48.2 million (19.2%) Americans on Twitter in 2014 (next closest country is Japan at 19.5 million)

  • 1.1 billion Facebook users worldwide in 2014, projected to hit 1.6 billion by 2018

  • 2.3 billion Twitter users worldwide in 2014, projected to hit 3.9 billion by 2018

  • 12.7% of all social media activity worldwide is from Twitter

Many avid golfers were born with golf shoes on their feet and learned to swing a club before mastering the art of walking, but since 2003 — especially after the recession in 2007 — the number of golfers in the United States has tanked by 4.8 million or around 16-percent.

While the numbers may be bleak, the general consensus among golfers on the future of the game has remained positive. According to a report released by the Sports Illustrated Golf Group, and decreasing number of golfers are concerned about the challenges facing the industry in regards to growing overall participation.

I happen to agree as the golf industry is choosing to face these challenges head on, and I am excited and feel very privileged to be working alongside some of most influential people in golf to revitalize the game that I have developed a passion for.

Please follow my blog posts throughout this summer as I’ll be documenting our progress toward the next generation of golf.

About Me:

My name is Chase Russell, and I just completed my junior year at Iowa State University where I study at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication while pursuing a minor in business. In addition to my work this summer through the Golf 20/20 internship program, I am currently serving a one-year term as the 2014 President of the National Collegiate Club Golf Association.

Originally from Colfax, Iowa (population: 2,061), I will be living and working in Boston at the Nextgengolf offices. While growing up in small town central Iowa, I got my start in golf at the age of 13 when I joined the Colfax Country Club, a small nine-hole course that shared a fence line with my father’s farm.

I have been an avid golfer ever since, as I went on to charter the Iowa State University club golf team during my sophomore year. With graduation less than 12 months away, I am looking to turn my hobby and passion into a career opportunity, and I couldn’t be happier to have the chance to serve the game as the Golf 20/20 intern this summer.

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