Sports fans could argue that The Ryder Cup is now the biggest event in professional golf. Its mix of multiple elite competitors, team battles, national or regional pride and build up time give it a buzz even the Majors can’t match.
The Ryder Cup – a battle of American and European golfers — dominates sports headlines for a few days every two years. But, will this year’s entry at Hazeltine in Minnesota turn the tide for the game of golf? Its popularity is falling amongst younger players and millennials. While there’ll be no empty spots in the gallery at Hazeltine, some are concerned future Ryder Cups might not see similar enthusiasm if today’s twenty-somethings avoid the game.
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It’s not the Ryder Cup’s responsibility to grow the game or encourage youth interest, but this reporter will be on the scene to note what the crowd looks like during the tussle between Team USA and Team Europe. Recently, I connected with Crave U.S. Sports Editor Josh Helmuth to debate the future of golf and how the Ryder Cup might represent that.
Josh Helmuth: I would be interested to see how much of the younger crowd shows up to watch. Golf is dying in the U.S. and people under 30 just aren’t playing. I would be interested in your take on how the future looks for golf based on what you see there. Will it be a fun, youthful crowd or geriatric central?
John Scott Lewinski: The golf is dying refrain is overplayed and untrue. Getting smaller, yes. But it’s returning to the same participation levels it had as a sport before Tiger Woods. That’s the big difference. It doesn’t have its big pop culture star anymore, so it’s no longer trendy.
Nike is the great example. It’s out of the golf business now because Tiger isn’t there anymore. They just cashed in on the Tiger hype. Golf is returning to its former status as a sport for the upper middle and upper classes. It flourishes on a more restricted level there.
As for millennials, they don’t play because it’s too hard, requires work to improve and takes a while to master. Anything millennials avoid should immediately be embraced as the nectar of the gods.
Helmuth: I couldn’t disagree more. Otherwise, country clubs wouldn’t be closing across the country — and Nike wouldn’t have dropped their golf line last month. But, will we see and perceive golf to be flourishing with the younger crowd at Ryder? I would be interested in seeing that.
Lewinski: The game is only becoming more exclusive, which is unfortunate for the greater good. I’m lucky enough to play the elite courses and the private clubs. They’re flush with cash. For better or worse, it’s becoming more of a 1%’r game.
Mike Keiser is building courses across the country. He’s building Sand Valley out in Wisconsin next year. Kohler is adding a Major’s worthy course north of Whistling Straits. Greens fees are beyond $300 for all of the above. The Straits and Erin Hills are booked solid until closing in October.
Helmuth: Yup, that’s another part of the problem. No one wants to pay that kind of money to play.
Lewinski: But, everyone should be careful not to be parochial. The game is booming amidst the young in Japan, Korea, and China. Just because the young in the U.S. are too lazy to put the selfie stick down long enough to try a sport beyond hot yoga, it doesn’t mean others shy away from a challenge.
That said, let’s see what I find at Hazeltine. We might see plenty of young Minnesotans out to see the spectacle of Ryder Cup golf — the only golf contest when raw emotion comes into play. Or, we’ll see a lot of young, very white people in boat shoes and checkered shorts.
Crave will have its golf spikes on the ground at the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in Minnesota. Check in for more coverage as the event approaches and during the tournament.
