2021: New Year’s Golf Resolutions For The Tour (And For Me, Too)

I’m not going to lie: creative writing during the holidays coupled with a major pandemic surge in cases and deaths is a poor combination. Recently losing two people I knew to this awful virus, along with one former colleague who just was released from nearly three weeks of COVID-19 pneumonia ICU care and, as I type, another fighting for his life with the same thing, really didn’t make my mindset better.

But I write about golf, a sport which takes a pretty big hiatus during mid-December to early January, so there’s usually a discussion vacuum too. 

So, I went to where I do my best thinking (aka my bathroom) and this time the idea hit me in the shower (I was naked when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray): there are four things we can do as an industry and a sport to make the golf world better in 2021 and beyond.  

RESOLUTION ONE: Finding or developing the next transcendent superstar

The NBA has LeBron and several players to take his place after he retires. The NFL has Tom Brady and others waiting in the wings as well. Personally I feel Major League Baseball and the National Hockey league are still developing theirs but are well on the way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Tiger Woods (@tigerwoods)

Golf, however, has a big problem: Tiger’s getting older and will not be as dominant (and he’s not playing near the schedule he used to, limiting his mass media availability during tournaments). Phil crossed the big 5-0 and is now splitting time across two tours. These were golf’s only two outside of the game stars, with Tiger FAR outshining Phil, and there is no heir apparent.

Dustin Johnson is hot right now but he’s not the face (and definitely didn’t learn how to be a superstar from his father-in-law). Justin Thomas is consistently strong and has an excellent camera presence with personality but hasn’t crossed into the mainstream. Rory McIlroy is in the same boat. Brooks Koepka wins majors but his health is a concern for the future, and Bryson is a monster but his length press is as overblown as his protein shake physique, leading some to wonder if he brought the early 1990’s baseball era to the country club. And don’t even get me started on the always overhyped yet consistently underperforming Rickie Fowler.

No one on that list or others will have or seem to have that mass world star appeal like Tiger, MJ, Kobe, Gretzky, and The Captain, and golf needs to find out who their next Big Cat is going to be pretty damn quick.

RESOLUTION TWO: Let’s get away from Bryson and the strive for big distance

I don’t have a problem with Bryson DeChambeau and what he’s chosen to do whatsoever. I do have a problem with how long it takes him to hit every damn shot, but we’ll talk about this later. If someone wants to drink enough protein shakes and workout to blow his body up in search of what he calls his optimum physique and distance crushing power then so be it.

That also being said, I don’t really care about the strive for maximum distance. If you tee up 20 golf balls and break out the driver for 350 yard bombs that have all of the consistency of truck stop coffee then your game isn’t worth squat. You might hit the fairway 2 or 3 times like that and be left the rest of time in the weeds, the woods, or someone’s living room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau)

Professionals and amateurs of all golf levels should really ditch this distance desire and strive to become models of consistency. 

None of us are perfect golfers, no matter our handicaps or training. We’ve seen all of the greats screw the pooch on a shot, but as Ben Hogan said, “This is a game of misses. The guy who misses the best is going to win.” And you don’t get much greater of a pure ball striker than Ben.

Work on narrowing your dispersion patterns. Get your gear fit to help direct the strengths of your game. Strive for the best distance with accuracy you can because it will help maintain or delete shots from your game.

Or drink a tanker’s worth of protein, hit the gym for 8 hours a day, and swing a driver like The Incredible Bulk (my nickname for Bryson). 

Whatever.

RESOLUTION THREE: Capitalize on the interest COVID-19 brought back to golf 

Much like my golf shots, the trajectory of the game was on a precipitous decline for over a decade. Many courses closed, greens fees rose, equipment prices went from what was already high to are you f***ing kidding me territory, and the interest brought to golf by Tiger had waned since his initial years.

Golf was hemorrhaging money in many ways (especially at the course level), but then COVID-19 happened. All of a sudden we were stuck in our homes and really only had parks and outdoor activities left to do, bringing people back to the game. Others said they’d give golf a whirl because what else were they going to do?

Well the numbers were very impressive year over year. The National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech released numbers in December that said rounds played in 2020 were up over 12-percent year over year, and in August and September the number was 20- and 25-percent higher year-over-year respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by @westinlaquintamarbella

Now what does a good business do when they have secured a customer? They don’t get cocky, but they remarket to their buyer, they give new incentives to encourage return visits, they find new ways to get better things for the buyer at a lower cost, they reinvest to maintain and/or improve their product, then lather, rinse, and repeat.

Golf should be appreciative and not gloating about the business increases in 2020, and now they need to actively remarket to those who played their courses to want to play again, maybe with some incentives to encourage it more. 

Manufacturers really need to create multiple custom lines options at a lower price point to offer more than just big box everything in a package sets and high end fitted gear. This will help people improve their games at a price they can step up to, and then step up to the next level, and so on.

And courses themselves have to make sure they’re portioning out some of the gains they get (if they have gotten them, hopefully) to reinvest in maintaining or increasing the quality of the courses we’re playing on. Creating a better product could further justify adding a few dollars to the price tag without socking it to the golfer.

RESOLUTION FOUR: Put the pros on the clock

My son and I went to the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink outside of Philadelphia. Aiden got to see his idol (Tiger) play on Sunday and I appreciated watching many of the best in this FedEx playoff tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Aronimink Golf Club (@aroniminkgolfclub)

One thing I thoroughly did not enjoy: watching Keegan Bradley and the aforementioned Bryson DeChambeau.

Why? They take too damn long. I mean way too damn long.

The game for amateurs playing a weekend round of 18 can easily blow past five and close to six hours. Professionals on the course should be faster and honestly must be. And I have the solution.

The European Tour played the Shot Clock Masters, making sure the players got to their ball and hit their next shot in 60-seconds or less. Now if the player made a change to their clubs or had to step off the shot they could take a 30-second reset on each hole, but the round felt so much faster, shaving the rounds by an average of 34 minutes in 2018, with a goal of getting it reduced by 45 minutes. 

Scores did not suffer at the Shot Clock Masters, most players had a blast with the increased pace, and the play on TV just felt more urgent with a clock constantly in effect.

Slow play needs to be penalized on the Tour. The slap on the wrist needs to be replaced with slaps in their prize money (donated right to the charity of the tournament’s host). The game MUST become faster. And despite their quirky, players like Bryson and Keegan just need to get the hell out of their heads.

The worst real estate in the world is the six inches between our ears, as the time being used in excess on the course is most likely compensating for a weak mental game.

Basically, you’re killing me, Smalls.

MY GOLF RESOLUTIONS FOR 2021

Another reason why I haven’t written much is because I needed, and still need to keep getting myself right. 

It’s been one hell of a 2020 with big changes in my personal life, in my professional life, where I make my residence, and in my health. Testing in December showed I need to do a Ctrl-Alt-Del as my blood chemistry and the scales showed I’m not doing a good enough job managing my health and diabetes. 

But thinking about what the industry needs to do, as well as myself, I came up with three changes I can make as well and started:

WALKING:

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by golfmagz.id (@golfmagz.id)

I’m trying to get my body moving more and decided that several of my local courses are flat enough to walk. So instead of taking a cart on the nice days, I’ll be pushing one when and where I’m allowed or can feasibly do so. Yup, I’m now in the push cart mafia, the proud owner of two new to me golf bag sleds. Hopefully my son and playing partners enjoy this notion too. And since I prefer end of the day tee times, I doubt we’ll slow it up for anyone playing around us. Besides, walking has a ridiculous amount of health benefits along with it being far cheaper without a powered two-seater (see below).

PRACTICING INDOORS: Thanks to the space in the house I’m renting, it looks like I have the room to put in a simulator in the garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by GolfBays (@golfbays)

Amazingly I’m doing somewhat better now than I was 6 months ago at the bank but I still need something that can be affordable, that can be easily used by players of both hands as my fellow golf family and friends that I’d host are both righties and lefties, and has the ability to give data that includes length, shot direction, and accuracy. So, the search is on to find me the right value simulator experience for my house. And hopefully space will allow me to actually swing a driver and woods in there (but irons are not an issue for the space I have, and they’re the worst part of my game as of now).

FINDING VALUE PLACES TO PLAY: I love to travel, and some weekends I just need to get out of town. Living in central PA, I’m so close to several amazing areas that I can get to on a Friday night or Saturday morning to play the same or next day. Also, I love high value, low cost tracks and I know there must be some truly awesome diamonds in the rough to find, play, and enjoy. So if you have some that I must play that won’t set me back as much in the wallet then I need to know about them. Message me through here or share in the comments because I have Jeep and will travel, and may even feature.

Here’s to 2021. It’s off to one hell of a 2020-like start and I’m not sure I’ll want to subscribe after my January trial period, but may the force be with you.

Cover Image via Instagram