Ohio Golf Journal March 2018

I often see stories written by colleagues that suggest the game is dying because it is TOO DIFÚCULT FOR NEW PLAYERS to learn. They often cite the number of players learning the game is equal to the number of players leaving the game. 4HIS SUPERÚCIAL OVERVIEW of the numbers does not represent the true picture of what is happening, however. Dig a little deeper, you begin to see that this analysis totally ignores the fact that each The Golf Industry Must Adopt a Growth Mindset year hundreds of thousands of golfers, many of them avid players, suffer an injury, illness, or other physical challenge that forces them away from the game. Research by the National Center for Accessibility indicates that 22% of the 57 million individuals with a “disability” in the United States enjoyed golf before their injury, but no longer play the game. Thus, there are approximately 13 million former golfers that WOULDBENEÚT FROMAN INVITATION to attend a series of golf clinics, designed to give them back the gift of golf. When compared to approximately 25 million active golfers, 13 million represents a sizable growth market, for the golf industry. It also brings sharp clarity, where funding could be directed to positively reverse this negative trend. At the same time, focus on ‘Adaptive Golf, would provide hope and enjoyment for physically challenged individuals. As a college golf coach, I worked with elite golfers. When I was injured, I used my educational background in sport psychology and exercise science, to improvise, adapt, By Rich O’Brien Ohio Golf Journal