Change the current zero sum equation of 3 million people entering the game and 3 million people leaving the game annually to 3.5 million entering and 2.5 million leaving. That net gain could result in 55.4 million participants in the United States by 2020 and an increase in rounds played to 1 billion.
Golf is a complicated, fragmented marketplace with a history of turf protection.
Little action ensued from past golf summits. What needs to be accomplished next is the gathering and interpretation of data. The lack of these studies in the past has led to haphazard development, saturating some markets and leaving others underserved. More research is needed to determine what works and what doesn t, and to learn whether alternative facilities actually promote the transition of beginning golfers many of whom are minorities, children and women to traditional facilities. Once this type of information has been gathered, it can be used to create models of success that can be applied throughout the country.