Cited as an alternative that can help golf
Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal wrote a wonderful article about golf published on Friday, Aug. 4.
Costa explores the trend of golf played in shorter increments. He profiles Canal Shores north of Chicago, which has a five-hole and 10-hole loop. The USGA’s Play9 campaign gets a significant mention, including estimates that one-third of rounds played are nine-hole rounds, mostly played by casual golfers, women, and people under the age of 55.
Other alternatives are deemed “outlandish” by the author including 15-inch holes, footgolf, and Golfboards (we don’t agree with the last entry). We’d also add to this list Sling Golf and Aero Golf with the caveat, hey, to each his own.
Top Golf makes its mark as an alternative, a place golfers can go and enjoy elements of the game without playing a full round of golf. Its 30 U.S. locations attracted 10 million people last year, and it is growing at a rapid pace. Will it help real golf grow? Wait and see.
And then, Costa cites Quick.golf (he calls it QuickGolf) as an “emerging option for people who don’t have time for nine holes.” Co-founder Harvey Silverman is quoted, noting the inherent skepticism with which many course operators view alternative pricing structures. “It’s real tough for these guys to get their heads past, ‘If it’s not an 18-hole round of golf, then I don’t want to think about it,'” Silverman said. “Well, you have to start thinking about it. Times have changed. It’s not 1925 anymore.” (Actually, Silverman said 1995, but the point is made).
So, there it is, the venerable Wall Street Journal (not fake news) weighing in on the state of golf. Kudos to Brian Costa for finding and illustrating positive alternatives that can help, rather than taking the typical media negative angle that, “golf is dying, let’s bash it until it does” (looking at you, Malcolm Gladwell).
We at Quick.golf look forward to speaking with golf course owners and operators who think forward, not backward, and can appreciate how stepping outside the box a bit will be beneficial to their business.
Contact Harvey Silverman at 650.362.3229, or harvey@quick.golf.
If you are a WSJ subscriber, here is the link to the entire article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-time-for-18-holes-of-golf-lets-play-five-1501848353?mg=prod/accounts-wsj.
About Quick.golf LLC: Quick.golf borrows from Open Table and Uber to bring a new alternative to golf courses that is easy to implement and manage. Pay-by-hole golf is not new, but using technology to promote and generate incremental revenue is. Our web app is finding its way to golf courses and golfers looking for a new way to play…and pay. Go to www.quick.golf/joinus to learn more, and call or email us as soon as you realize what a good idea this can be for your business.
Contact:
Contact Name: Harvey Silverman
Company name: Quick.golf LLC
Phone Number: 650-362-3229
Email: harvey@quick.golf
