More Americans Are Giving Up Golf

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — The men gathered in a new golf clubhouse here a couple of weeks ago circled the problem from every angle, like caddies lining up a shot out of the rough.

“We have to change our mentality,” said Richard Rocchio, a public relations consultant.

“The problem is time,” offered Walter Hurney, a real estate developer. “There just isn’t enough time. Men won’t spend a whole day away from their family anymore.”

William A. Gatz, owner of the Long Island National Golf Club in Riverhead, said the problem was fundamental economics: too much supply, not enough demand.

The problem was not a game of golf. It was the game of golf itself.

Over the past decade, the leisure activity most closely associated with corporate success in America has been in a kind of recession.

The total number of people who play has declined or remained flat each year since 2000, dropping to about 26 million from 30 million, according to the National Golf Foundation and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

More troubling to golf boosters, the number of people who play 25 times a year or more fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000, a loss of about a third.

The industry now counts its core players as those who golf eight or more times a year. That number, too, has fallen, but more slowly: to 15 million in 2006 from 17.7 million in 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation.

The five men who met here at the Wind Watch Golf Club a couple of weeks ago, golf aficionados all, wondered out loud about the reasons. Was it the economy? Changing family dynamics? A glut of golf courses? A surfeit of etiquette rules — like not letting people use their cellphones for the four hours it typically takes to play a round of 18 holes?

Or was it just the four hours?

Here on Long Island, where there are more than 100 private courses, golf course owners have tried various strategies: coupons and trial memberships, aggressive marketing for corporate and charity tournaments, and even some forays into the wedding business.

Over coffee with a representative of the National Golf Course Owners Association, the owners of four golf courses discussed forming an owners’ cooperative to market golf on Long Island and, perhaps, to purchase staples like golf carts and fertilizer more cheaply.

They strategized about marketing to women, who make up about 25 percent of golfers nationally; recruiting young players with a high school tournament; attracting families with special rates; realigning courses to 6-hole rounds, instead of 9 or 18; and seeking tax breaks, on the premise that golf courses, even private ones, provide publicly beneficial open space.

“When the ship is sinking, it’s time to get creative,” said Mr. Hurney, a principal owner of the Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River, which last summer erected a 4,000-square-foot tent for social events, including weddings, christenings and communions.

The disappearance of golfers over the past several years is part of a broader decline in outdoor activities — including tennis, swimming, hiking, biking and downhill skiing — according to a number of academic and recreation industry studies.

A 2006 study by the United States Tennis Association, which has battled the trend somewhat successfully with a forceful campaign to recruit young players, found that punishing hurricane seasons factored into the decline of play in the South, while the soaring popularity of electronic games and newer sports like skateboarding was diminishing the number of new tennis players everywhere.

Rodney B. Warnick, a professor of recreation studies and tourism at the University of Massachusetts, said that the aging population of the United States was probably a part of the problem, too, and that “there is a younger generation that is just not as active.”

But golf, a sport of long-term investors — both those who buy the expensive equipment and those who build the princely estates on which it is played — has always seemed to exist in a world above the fray of shifting demographics. Not anymore.

Jim Kass, the research director of the National Golf Foundation, an industry group, said the gradual but prolonged slump in golf has defied the adage, “Once a golfer, always a golfer.” About three million golfers quit playing each year, and slightly fewer than that have been picking it up. A two-year campaign by the foundation to bring new players into the game, he said, “hasn’t shown much in the way of results.”

“The man in the street will tell you that golf is booming because he sees Tiger Woods on TV,” Mr. Kass said. “But we track the reality. The reality is, while we haven’t exactly tanked, the numbers have been disappointing for some time.”

Surveys sponsored by the foundation have asked players what keeps them away. “The answer is usually economic,” Mr. Kass said. “No time. Two jobs. Real wages not going up. Pensions going away. Corporate cutbacks in country club memberships — all that doom and gloom stuff.”

In many parts of the country, high expectations for a golf bonanza paralleling baby boomer retirements led to what is now considered a vast overbuilding of golf courses.

Between 1990 and 2003, developers built more than 3,000 new golf courses in the United States, bringing the total to about 16,000. Several hundred have closed in the last few years, most of them in Arizona, Florida, Michigan and South Carolina, according to the foundation.

(Scores more courses are listed for sale on the Web site of the National Golf Course Owners Association, which lists, for example, a North Carolina property described as “two 18-hole championship courses, great mountain locations, profitable, $1.5 million revenues, Bermuda fairways, bent grass, nice clubhouses, one at $5.5 million, other at $2.5 million — possible some owner financing.”)

At the meeting here, there was a consensus that changing family dynamics have had a profound effect on the sport.

“Years ago, men thought nothing of spending the whole day playing golf — maybe Saturday and Sunday both,” said Mr. Rocchio, the public relations consultant, who is also the New York regional director of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “Today, he is driving his kids to their soccer games. Maybe he’s playing a round early in the morning. But he has to get back home in time for lunch.”

Mr. Hurney, the real estate developer, chimed in, “Which is why if we don’t repackage our facilities to a more family orientation, we’re dead.”

To help keep the Great Rock Golf Club afloat, owners erected their large climate-controlled tent near the 18th green last summer. It sat next to the restaurant, Blackwell’s, already operating there. By most accounts, it has been a boon to the club — though perhaps not a hole in one.

Residents of the surrounding neighborhood have complained about party noise, and last year more than 40 signed a petition asking the town of Riverhead to intervene. Town officials are reviewing whether the tent meets local zoning regulations, but have not issued any noise summonses. Mr. Hurney told them he had purchased a decibel meter and would try to hire quieter entertainment.

One neighbor, Dominique Mendez, whose home is about 600 feet from the 18th hole, said, “We bought our house here because we wanted to live in a quiet place, and we thought a golf course would be nice to see from the window. Instead, people have to turn up their air conditioners or wear earplugs at night because of the music thumping.”

During weddings, she said: “you can hear the D.J., ‘We’re gonna do the garter!’ It’s a little much.”

Warriors Tied For 18th After Second Day Of John Burns Intercollegiate

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, O`ahu - The University of Hawai`i Warrior golf team (292-290-582) finished the second round of the John A. Burns Intercollegiate in a tie for 18th at the Leilehua Golf Course Wednesday.

Kyle Walters (73-67-140) moved up the individual leaderboard, tying for 25th. Robert Berton (74-72-146) is tied for 66th, followed by Travis Toyama (72-75-147), tied for 72nd, Ryan Perez (73-76-149), tied for 84th, and Cody Pewarchuk (74-77-151), tied for 92nd.

Three Warriors are competing as individuals, led by Kamden Brakel (76-77-153), tied for 97th. Chase Bingham (77-83-160) is tied for 107th with Daniel Soglanich (90-88-178) in 110th.

Auburn shot 15-under-par on the day to move into first by themselves at 25-under-par. UNLV (-22) is in second, followed by Texas A&M (-21), Southern Methodist (-20) and San Diego Stat, e (-16).

Individually, California's Stephen Hale and San Diego State's Johan Carlsson are tied for the lead at 10-under-par. UTEP's Herbert Day and Arizona's Tarquin Macmanus are tied for third at nine-under, followed by three players tied for fifth at eight-under-par.

The tournament concludes tomorrow with the final round, starting at 8:00 a.m. HST.

Second Round Results

Cyr finishes second at golf tournament

Bonsall, Calif. — Point Loma Nazarene junior Sam Cyr, a King Kekaulike High School graduate, finished second at the CSU San Marcos Invitational that took place Monday and Tuesday.

Cyr opened with a round of

2-over-par 74 at San Luis Rey Downs, but followed that with a 68 and 69 to finish at 5-under 211, three shots behind Grant Doverspike of Fresno State

(70-69-69).

Point Loma finished second in the team scoring at 21-over 885, eight shots behind Fresno State.

ON THE FAIRWAY: Pioneer's passing not end of era

By Mitsunori Toda / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

A day after Japan's star of tomorrow received his first paycheck in Hawaii, a golfing pioneer died at 92.

Torakichi Nakamura, a caddy at the Hodogaya Country Club in Yokohama at age 15 and a pro at 20, teamed up with Koichi Ono to win the 1957 Canada Cup--the forerunner to the World Cup. He became the first Japanese to play in the Masters the following year.

With "Tora-san's" death, the torch has been passed to 16-year-old Ryo Ishikawa, who on turning pro last month said winning the Masters was his No. 1 ambition.

Ishikawa, who finished 10th Sunday at the Pearl Open in Hawaii--his second pro tournament--looks like he can spark the same kind of golf boom that Nakamura was the first to inspire. The schoolboy has grabbed the hearts of many Japanese fans, not only with his booming and dynamic swing, but with humble and clever responses at press conferences.

Fans' expectations of Ishikawa were reflected in shares of Matsushita Electric, which rose to their limit-high for two days after the consumer electronics giant announced a sponsorship deal with the Saitama native. Yonex, more famous for its rackets, is said to have been flooded with orders for the driver and iron sets that Ishikawa has signed up to use.

His clean image is just what golf in Japan needs, especially as the sport was dragged through the headlines in the past year after a former senior defense ministry official was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from contractors in the form of golf outings.

Golf is the only sport played without the supervision of a referee or umpire. According to the R&A Rules of Golf, players should "conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times."

The game is built on the honesty and patience of its players.

The past decade has seen an increasing number of young players in competition--Ishikawa and female stars Ai Miyazato and Sakura Yokomine are the most recognizable examples. But it is said that some junior players have cheated in amateur events by altering their scorecards or moving balls from unfavorable lies. In most cases, the pressure to get a good score is coming from parents.

In late 2006, Masaki Nakanishi and Ai Takinami were both suspended for altering their scorecards at qualifying tournaments. Nakanishi, who was banned for five years, won 35 amateur titles and had been tipped for big things. Takinami was banned for 10 years.

By contrast, Nakamura became a role model for golfers in Japan. Loved for his personality--fiery on the course and mild off it--the three-time Japan Open winner was famous for nurturing young players.

One player he mentored was Japan LPGA chairwoman and Hall of Famer Hisako Higuchi, who became the first Asian to win a major by taking the U.S. Women's Championship in 1977. "He was like a father to me," Higuchi said in a statement. "He taught me how to live my life."

Tora-san's contribution to golf in Japan didn't stop there. As well as acting as an icon for a generation of golfers, he worked to establish the JLPGA and served as the organization's first chairman in 1967.

By the 1980s, golf in Japan had morphed into a very different sport from the Nakamura-inspired boom of the 1960s. Instead of "courtesy and sportsmanship," golf in the bubble economy was a tool for schmoozing business partners.

That era is thankfully over. The golf boom Japan is currently experiencing is based on lower green fees and more affordable clubs.

It's also based on young talent such as Miyazato and Ishikawa and their understanding the spirit of the game. Yonex president Tsutomu Yoneyama expects Ishikawa to be a role model for amateurs and young players who are swinging a club for the first time.

"I want Ryo-kun to be a player who will be respected and can revitalize the whole golf industry in Japan," he said.

Yoneyama's belief that the behavior of pros can have a huge influence on the amateur game isn't just hype--just look at the way weekend golfers aped their heroes by smoking their way around the course.

With Tora-san gone, it is up to Ishikawa and others to play golf in a spirit he would have recognized, and in doing so help the sport get rid of its tainted image.

Japanese Teenage Golf Phenom in Hawaii

By Jason Tang

Hawaii golf fans got a chance to see the sports newest teen phenom at this weekend's Pearl Open. The 16-year old stands out -- not only because of his game.

12-year old Trey Kidd and his dad check out the final round of the Pearl Open. Their eyes -- like most other people there -- on one person.

"I was just out here to watch Ryo Ishikawa," said Trey Kidd.

16-year old Ryo Ishikawa, from Japan, is the golf's newest teen phenom. Crowds and cameras follow his every move. More than 40 media members from Japan are covering the tournament.

"He's on the stage, and he's handling it quite well," said Bill Kidd. "I'm impressed."

"His pants are fancy, Japanese golfers are pretty fancy, but he's pretty good too," said the younger Kidd.

Last year, he was the youngest player ever to win a men's golf event in Japan. Last month, he turned pro, and signed endorsement deals, reportedly worth $10-million. Something that used to be the exception, but now becoming the norm.

"I think just, they work at it" said Trey Kidd, an aspiring young golfer himself. "Golf is becoming a more popular sport, and people are recognizing it, and having more respect for it."

"These young players are just fabulous," said Bill Kidd. "Their coaching is good, their equipment is good, and they're all climbing the mountain. They're doing a good job."

Trey said he hopes to be out on the course one day, competing at one of the state's biggest tournaments. But probably not in fancy pants.

Ishikawa was tied for 8th after shooting a 5-under-67 in Saturday's round two.

He shot a one-under 71 Sunday, not enough to win, but still, a good showing.

Nothing says romance like ... 18 holes of golf?

It's not so crazy anymore as many golf vacation hot spots court couples

By Chris Baldwin

LAHAINA, Hawaii - Golf gets stereotyped as a guys’ trip thing so often that there are golf course owners who seem surprised when every group doesn't roll in touting coolers full of cheap beer and an endless roll call of junior high school jokes.

In Hawaii they know better, though. Here, you're more likely to come across newlyweds who are all but snuggling in the golf carts and older weds who still love to be around each other than bands of would-be Vince Vaughns and Owen Wilsons. Local golf pros call them the "Newlywed Gang," and they are a significant force in determining a course's success or failure.

Midwest visitor Dan Harlan is one of them, and he planned to play three or four rounds with his new bride over the course of a 10-day trip.

"You have to do something when you're not in bed," Harlan said. "Even if you're in bed a lot."

So much for putting the romance into golf travel. Yet as Valentine's Day approaches and everyone looks for something more original than the same old flowers, candy or pajamas to give their beloved, golf is actually turning into an option.

A romantic trip that includes a belch of "Fore!" and talk of ocean holes rather than candlelight dinners? Believe it.

"I'm seeing more couples and pairs of couples booking golf trips," said Tim Hurja, of PalmSpringsGolfCentral.com, a company that books golf trips to Palm Springs, San Diego and Hawaii. "For someplace like Hawaii, it's almost all couples."

Everyone is still not down with idea, of course. "If my husband suggested we golf on Valentine's Day or an anniversary trip, he'd better already have an attorney on retainer," Scottsdale's Andrea Nichols said, laughing. "A good one too."

Chris Baldwin / WorldGolf.com Golf's better at Cabo del Sol if you swing with the one you love.

Skeptics aside, it's easy to see why golf is suddenly being linked with romance, a connection that would have been considered as absurd as romance and monster trucks only 20 years ago. Where are most of the best new courses built these days though? At pampering resorts where spas get as much attention as the fairways (sometimes more) and meals are required to go far beyond a burger and a Bud.

"As people find themselves with less and less leisure time, they try to work more things into the vacations they do have," said John Adams, general manager of the JW Marriott Star Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. "It can't just be a golf trip. Or just a romantic getaway. Or just a kids' vacation.

"A lot of times, it has to be all of things at once in the same place."

Making sure the romance happens has even become part of company directives. Sandals Resorts and Couples Resorts both have a Chief Romance Officer. No word on whether the guys come with wings and their own arrows. But they will give you tips on how to sprinkle a bed with flower petals and advice on whether or not popping the question on the 18th green is a good idea.

"Whatever your decision may be to show your partner how much you care, make sure it's heartfelt and sincere," advises Randy Russell, chief romance officer at Couples Resorts.

And wait until everyone putts out.

Romantic golf trip rules
Whether you're looking to combine birdies with breakfast in bed or just find some time to golf with your beloved (or beloved of the moment), there are some simple rules to follow. Things that a chief romance officer could never tell you, the kind of RULES that someone with a slick publicist could go on "Oprah" with, wax poetic over and suddenly become friends with Dr. Phil.

1. Make sure they're into it
The biggest mistake in trying to introduce golf into your romantic getaway comes when a golf-obsessed vacationer assumes their partner is enraptured with the prospect of hours spent chasing that white ball around too.

"It only really works if you both like golf the same or almost the same," said Theola Kirschbaum, who's taken many happy golf vacations with her husband. "If your husband loves to play, and you could take it or leave it, there's going to be some resentment if you're playing all the time."

Now is the time to find balance. Play the great courses you always wanted to play in your vacation spot. But don't try to play every course or every day.

Thirty-six holes a day is not the new foreplay.

2. Choose the golf destination with more care than the flower bouquet
Sure, you've always wanted to play the hidden-find golf courses in Ireland, deep in the countryside where few besides sheep roam. But when you're trying to maintain a romantic vibe, those kind of trying treks may not be ideal.

Remember how much you fight over directions in your home state? Multiply that by 10 on the road.

Then again, some spots might surprise you. The Lodge at Torrey Pines sounds about as romantic as the Motel in the Swamp to some. The hotel's right on the golf course honey?

Only this resort right at the famous site that will be host to the U.S. Open later this summer happens to be five-star rated with the type of spa that socialites go gaga over. Even better, it's close to charming downtown La Jolla and its cozy restaurants heavy on candlelight.

If you go ... Romantic golf trip ideas Hawaii's Beach & Golf Newlywed gang Info: (866) 351-1688 or (760) 469-4405 Myrtle Beach surprise getaway Info: (866) 409-2177 Canada's golf by train Info: (877) 323-3633

Likewise, many people (even golfers) do not associate Myrtle Beach with romance. But you can have a secluded getaway here, far from any spring breakers, on a spot like Pawleys Island. Or stay just across a bridge from the heart of the bustle at Barefoot Resort in North Mytrle Beach.

You'll find four different golf courses designed by Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Greg Norman and Davis Love III here and the chance to stare across the water while dining with your favorite date.

3. Add a special non-golf activity
One of the best ways to turn a golf trip romantic is to make sure it's about more than just the golf.

If you're in Cabo, play Jack Nicklaus' Cabo del Sol Ocean Course and snorkel near ancient ruins.

Courtesy of Golf Canada's West What's more romantic than a train ride? You and your sweetie can play some great Western Canadian courses and enjoy a tow-day ride on the Rocky Mountaineer RailTour.

Or turn that trip to play great Western Canadian golf courses like Banff Springs and Chateau Whistler unforgettable by adding a two-day ride on the Rocky Mountaineer RailTour. Look out the train window and see black bears snacking on fruit off a tree.

Golf Canada's West — a hotel and golf trip packaging company — has been booking these golf train trips through the Canadian Rockies for years.

Romance is only limited by your imagination after all. At least that's what Chief Romance Officers are paid to say.

SBS Open at Turtle Bay marks start of 2008 LPGA Tour season 138 players gather in Hawaii hoping to earn first winner's check of season

Last year, a 20-year-old Paula Creamer was starting her third year on the LPGA after a sophomore season that left her with 14 top-10 finishes, but no wins. Her winless streak came to an abrupt halt with her third career LPGA Tour victory at the season-opening 2007 SBS Open at Turtle Bay.

Creamer leads this year's field of 138 players back to the Turtle Bay Resort to compete for the $1.1 million purse, with the winner banking $165,000. The tide of momentum for Creamer is in her favor as she closed out 2007 with eight consecutive top-12 finishes, including a fourth career victory at The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions in November.

Mastering the Arnold Palmer Course at Turtle Bay is a feat made more challenging with the island winds. But Creamer did so with rounds of 67-70-70 for a 9-under-par 207 performance that edged out Julieta Granada, of Paraguay, by one stroke.

Of the top-10 on the season-ending 2007 LPGA Official Money List, eight are in this week's field, many of whom are among 15 of last year's individual tournament champions starting their season. And, for the first time in the event's four-year history, Annika Sorenstam will be starting her LPGA season in February at Turtle Bay Resort.

With the official 2008 LPGA Tour season underway, it also marks the start of LPGA Playoffs 2008. Players will once again compete for ADT Points in their quest to secure one of 32 positions in the season-ending, $1 million ADT Championship, Nov. 20-23, 2008. The past two years, Creamer has qualified via LPGA Playoffs 2008 and ADT Points, finishing eighth in 2006 and third in 2007.