There is a saying that Prussian king Frederick the Great (1712-1786) lost the Battle of Jena (1806), meaning that for twenty years after his death, the army perpetuated his successful organization instead of adapting to meet the changes in the art of war. Many rules outlive the purpose for which they were intended. What rule, policy, or way of thinking has been successful for golf in the past but may be limiting the game now? What does the industry need to change?
It’s no secret that the golf industry is going through significant change. What is not widely known is just how much the industry will need to change in the coming years to ensure the next generation picks up the game, purchases memberships, and passes the benefits on to their grandchildren. Here are some of the more popular suggestions:
- Play faster – “While we’re young?”
- Eliminate rules – “FLOG, anyone?”
- Make the hole bigger – “15 inch cups”
- Play from the forward tees – “Play it Forward”
Brad Szollose, co-founder of the first dot-com advertising agency to go public, wrote an #1 bestseller, Liquid Leadership. In his book, Brad describes the Millennial generation, how our culture is changing, and how we Boomers must do to welcome Millennials into this wonderful game, or any other endeavor. Among other things, Brad suggests…
“Try joining in on the conversation that already exists instead of trying to change it.”
So, what conversations are the Millennials having? Listen to their music. Hear what their heroes are saying. Here are several keys I’m hearing.
- Accommodating – Make the clubhouse more accommodating. Allow golfers to play in jeans and, heaven forbid, cargo shorts. Include music from the next generation (e.g., One Direction, Taylor Swift along with other genre) over the sound system.
- Affordable – For those who are up before noon (JUST kidding!!), allow them to pay for and walk 9 holes on Saturday morning, or anytime.
- Adaptable – Millennials don’t play Bridge, Canasta, or Pinochle. Host video game tournaments in the club ballroom. Provide place to play on Saturday/Sunday in the Spring [Hmm…maybe that’s why many more Millennials play soccer instead of golf].
- Anti-discriminatory – Encourage tee times based on playing ability and not age or gender. I hear there are private clubs who still won’t let women and children play on the weekends before 3:00PM. Really??? Rules like these don’t fly with Millennials.
If we are to welcome the Millennials (and others) we will need to offer convenient, affordable, fun, for everyone! [Think CAFE!]
It will take time, but let’s experiment with temporarily setting some of the rules aside. Remember Casual Fridays. We would never have eliminated the mandatory requirement that everyone had to come to work dressed like they were ready to go to a funeral without testing the waters. Cargo Shorts Day, anyone?
Allow cell phones to be used on the course so long as they’re not distracting to the other golfers. Most Millennials don’t talk on the phone anyway – they text. Now that I think about it, this could be a good demonstration why one should not text and drive. LOL :o)!
Build a Twitter base and offer Millennials-Only Saturday Specials (MOSS). Make Saturday Night the Millennials’ Night. Invite younger musicians to perform. Golf, food, music, fun. Who’s the Boss of the MOSS? Encourage retweeting using a special hashtag. #BOSSMOSSJAM
I can hear what some of you are saying, “Next he’ll be suggesting that we set aside Tuesdays as Jeans Day?” Maybe that’s a bit aggressive, but if it came down to it would you rather have a place to play where golfers wore jeans or no place to play? Maybe it’s time we set aside some of the traditions, even if only temporarily, to attract the next generation into the game. Which ones? As Brad says, the key is to enter their conversation and listen to what’s important to them.
Okay, your turn.
What tradition is limiting the game of golf for Millennials?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
