Golf has an established, stereotypical image amongst non-golfers as being elitist and stuffy – for many not involved in the sport, golf has been seen as representative of old-fashioned attitudes and prejudice… It’s Caddyshack and men in Argyle sweaters making guffawing noises. Golf is a good scapegoat for those crying capitalist patriarchy. It isn’t true, of course, but the truth hasn’t stopped our sport being a fairly passive whipping boy for the more blinkered warriors for social justice.
In recent years, a huge amount of work has been done within the game to break the stereotype – to make golf more inclusive and appealing to people outside of the sport. Dress codes are largely a thing of the past, initiatives around youth and female participation and sustainability and accessibility have been high on the agendas of the governing bodies for decades now. Clubs are striving to be more family friendly, and tournaments try to create more of a party atmosphere to draw in non-golfers.
Influencers and celebrities promote golf, it’s played by sportspeople, film and music stars and others with the (supposed) ability to “move the needle.” The second series of Full Swing on Netflix has proven popular since its release and has clearly been reaching a wide audience.
The consensus within golf is that we are doing a great job of changing people’s perception of the game. Golf is cool now! Isn’t it?
The problem is that like anything on the internet, golf largely exists within its own online bubble. Golf enthusiasts, golf administrators, businesses and promoters will generally bounce off each other on social media channels, convincing one another that golf is now perceived as the trendiest game on the planet.
We at Golf Monthly wondered if the reality might be a bit different, whether those outside of golf are at all aware of golf's great leaps forward, and if the initiatives have had an impact on non-golfers.
As an experiment, we asked 20 non-golfers (10 men and 10 women) to give us three words to describe the game of golf.
The answers make for difficult reading for us golfers. The immediate thoughts of these non-golfers look distinctly similar to how they might have done 40 or 50 years ago. There are some positives but words like, elitist, men, expensive, slow, complicated, difficult are the most prevalent. Check out the responses below:
The Men
Hugh Cheape – "Healthy, Enjoyable, Sociable"
Leon Taylor – "Green, Slow, Technical"
Ronnie Gray – "Competition, Equipment, Fun"
Ivo Elliott – "Psychological, Wealth, Windy"
Ben Penty – "Expensive, Difficult, Impressive"
Jan Meyer – "Rich, Masculine, Pastel"
Jonathan O’Keefe – "American, Faff, Exclusive"
Jamie Barnett – "Elitist, Dull, Expensive"
Paul Burvill – "Lengthy, Tedious, Hard"
Tom Ayre – "Slow, Tedious, Meticulous"
The Women
Delia Saperia – "Middle-aged, Slow, Relaxing"
Annie Ross – "Business, Funny Shoes"
Georgina McGuire – "Social, Expensive, Well-being"
Cat Elliott – "Verdant, Measured, Elitist"
Vinny Burnett – "Difficult, Silly Clothes, Male"
Sam McNulty – "Frustrating, Formal, Boring"
Mirj Lawrence – "Old Men, Posh, Outdoors"
Annie Chisholm – "Exclusive, Inaccessible, Male-dominated"
Kate Read – "Male-dominated, Rule-heavy, Aspirational"
Sarah Youll – "Time Consuming, Frustrating, Outdoor"
Ali Aplin – "Complicated, Leisurely, Self-congratulatory"
Conclusions
Although there are some positive answers, the reality is that most responses from this experiment are negative. Of the 20 people, perhaps only a couple suggest an interest in, or any good feelings about, golf.
This could be viewed as a significant problem, but really it should be viewed as a significant opportunity. There are millions and millions of people out there who are not currently, but possibly could be, convinced that golf is enjoyable and can be a force for good.
This is the challenge the governing bodies face. We in golf are excellent (and have been excellent for many years) at talking to other golfers, extolling the virtues of our sport to one another, patting each other on the back. To grow the game significantly, the message must be got across to more non-golfers. Netflix is a great example of how this could happen. The new R&A funded facility Golf It! on the old site of Lethamhill Golf Course, is another – a community facility with golf at its heart but one that also offers attractions for non-golfers to visit and perhaps see golf in a different light.
Changing the non-golfing public’s long-held perception of golf is a huge challenge but it’s a challenge worth taking on. If golf could reach just two or three of every 20 non-golfers and change their opinions, the game’s popularity and position would sky-rocket.
