Off The Deck: The Problem With Growing The Game

Is growing it carelessly worse than not growing it at all?

Welcome to Off The Deck, a place for me to give my thoughts about anything and everything golf, from the whimsical to the politics of the game. This is the first post, and it’s all about a phrase we’ve heard for years now: Grow the Game.

Let me preface this by saying I want more people playing golf. It’s the best sport in the world, and I’ve made some of my closest friends on the golf course. That said, over the past few years of playing, watching pro events, and seeing the online discourse about golf, I think the concept of growing the game is inherently filled with problems, mostly because it’s just plain vague.

What is Growing the Game, Anyway?

In its simplest form, growing the game refers to exactly that: more people playing, following, and talking about golf. It’s a great idea, because golf is social by nature. You want to hang out with your buddies for a few hours? Book a tee time for four. Need a break from everything and want somewhere peaceful? Put some headphones in, play your music, and hit a bucket of balls on the driving range.

With the generally older population of golfers, growing the game is really aimed at younger generations (think millennials and Gen Z). They’re the ones the vast majority of golf content is aimed at, since they’re the ones most likely to consume it on social media. That’s a good thing. Modernizing golf is something I’m fully in support of, and that includes bringing people in at a younger age so they can develop the same appreciation for spending mornings grinding on the range that I found. Golf teaches you so many lessons, from patience to strategy to the importance of resilience. It’s incredibly rewarding, and you get out of it exactly what you put in.

Before I get to the next section, there’s one more aspect of growing the game that I want to highlight. It can also refer to giving people who may not have access or the means to get into golf an opportunity to pick up the sport. To me, that’s the most important part of the “grow the game” ethos. Golf has historically been very exclusive, and there’s no reason for it to stay that way. It should be a sport for everyone, and I’m all for lowering the barrier to entry.

So What’s The Problem Then?

Remember how I mentioned that vagueness inherent in the phrase “grow the game”? That’s the heart of the issue. There aren’t really any guidelines for how to grow it. It’s all up for interpretation, and people don’t have a standard to aim for. There are a few different aspects of this issue, each with its own consequences.

The Players

I’ll start with the most obvious part of growing the game: more players. The problems with this are twofold.

The first is how golf courses respond to this influx of players, usually opting to add tee times and cram as many groups in as possible. It’s an absolute nightmare, and pace of play often suffers as a result. Golf has had a slow play problem even before the “grow the game” movement, and this isn’t helping. I remember high school and junior golf tournament rounds routinely taking close to six hours, which, quite frankly, is unacceptable.

There’s no reason you should be playing so slow, both in tournaments and casual play. You’re given 40 seconds to hit your shot when it’s your turn. Believe me, that’s more than enough. You should be doing all your prep work (getting a distance, checking the wind, picking a club) while everyone else is hitting. If you’re first to play, things are a bit different, but you should still be able to keep things moving at a reasonable pace, even if you’re barely advancing the ball.

There’s another problem with how courses are handling new players: pricing. At my home course, green fees have nearly doubled in the last five or six years. I understand prices will rise with time due to economic factors, but double? It’s honestly silly, especially when you consider a key part of growing the game is accessibility.

The second issue with new players is that they often come into the game with minimal knowledge of etiquette and protocol. I’m not talking about dress code (at least put in the effort to wear a polo, though), I’m talking about the basic decency golfers should afford to each other. Things like not talking during someone’s swing, fixing your divots and pitchmarks, and not stepping in another player’s line on the greens aren’t elitist behavior, they’re signs of respect to your fellow golfers.

I don’t expect new players to be perfect. I was there once, chunking and blading chips, getting stuck in bunkers, and dunking balls in the water like I was LeBron. My issue is with the people who don’t even try to respect the game. And yes, I know this makes me sound like an old man yelling at clouds.

Here’s the bottom line. If you want people to keep playing golf with you, you need to be a good playing partner to them. Rake the bunkers. Pull the flag for them. Clean up after yourself. A little respect goes a long way on the golf course.

The Fans

Growing the game isn’t just about more people playing golf. It’s about the increased following, too. I’ve watched PGA Tour events forever, and I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Memorial Tournament several times. Fans have been yelling after swings for years, from “GET IN THE HOLE” to “DILLY DILLY” to … “GIVE ME BACK MY SON”?

But lately, it just feels like it’s only gotten worse.

Tournaments are packed with new fans, which, in theory, is great. More interest equals more excitement equals more energy. But unfortunately, a lot of those fans don’t seem to understand the etiquette of being a fan. There’s a time and place for noise. Shouting during a backswing isn’t it. Neither is sprinting past ropes for a better view, heckling players, or treating a tournament like a frat party.

Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing more people at events. The roar when a player stuffs an iron to five feet or sinks a clutch birdie is like nothing else, especially with how reserved golf is otherwise. Watching the crowd react on 18 when a player taps in for that winning moment is a surreal experience, and it should feel massive. Having more people only amplifies that effect, but too often it feels like fans are just looking for attention or drama instead of appreciating the unreal quality of golf on display.

The Discourse

That leads into the third and final issue I want to point out: how we talk about golf.

Too often, golf discourse seems to seek out hot takes or look for viral moments rather than take the time to really understand the game and how it works. When Rory McIlroy declines to do media after a tough PGA Championship, why is everyone up in arms? These players are still human, they still experience emotions, and they’re well within their rights to decline media. Instead of measured opinions and empathy, the social media reaction was to label Rory as soft or a crybaby. This isn’t just a Rory issue. This is a reflection of how we talk about golf as a whole.

I know social media lives for controversy. It breeds engagement, but surely there’s room for nuanced discussion, especially with a sport as demanding as golf. The increased social media attention on golf has only made these issues worse, especially after the PGA Tour-LIV split. It feels like every Instagram comment section is full of people who are desperately searching for likes or trying to bait others into angry responses.

There’s another angle to this that I think needs to be addressed: gambling.

Since sports betting has become more and more mainstream, the hot take hunting has only become worse and worse. Instead of truly looking at events, players, narratives, and history, we get basic graphics and clickbait, advertising sleepers and fades with no regard for the actual golf being played. I know I’m saying this as someone who writes a preview every week and includes a section dedicated to those exact things. But I try to approach those sections with respect for the game, the players, and the numbers. That’s what the rest of the Pin Sheet is built around.

That said, betting has frankly become far too prevalent in golf and sports as a whole for me. We don’t need an ESPN altcast flashing betting odds onscreen at all times and with hosts talking nonstop about parlays. I’d rather see an altcast that takes the time to actually analyze data and understand why players are over- or underperforming expectations, because there’s so much to gain from taking a second, stepping back, and just learning. We should be focusing on the players themselves. They’re the ones putting it all on the line every week, not our betting slips.

This isn’t me trying to get rid of sports betting. I understand people enjoy it, and all the power to them. I just want the focus back on what truly matters at the end of the day, which is the golf.

What Now?

Growing the game is a great thing, but only if we do it right. It can’t just be a catchphrase, it needs to be a playbook, too. It has to be a way for us to bring new people into the sport we love while also establishing guidelines to make sure we grow it sustainably. It means showing new players the ropes and making sure they have the proper etiquette and respect to make rounds enjoyable for everyone, not just themselves. It means teaching fans how to properly behave to make the experience better for everyone. And it means encouraging discourse that gives everyone room to not only speak, but speak thoughtfully, not just amplify the hottest takes or loudest voices. Growing the game, and growing it properly, benefits everyone, not just new players or fans.

Golf is a sport about respect and community, and it can be a truly special space. That’s the game I want to grow. And growing it is just the start.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Agree or disagree, please share them in the comments below.