THE 19TH HOLE | OPINION
advert anywhere that says:
“Play Golf. It’s F*cking
Awesome!”
And that’s what every other advertiser out
there is doing for their product. And guess
what? It works!
If the R&A or USGA created adverts, they
certainly wouldn’t be presenting golf in the
way the drinks industry presents itself, or for
that matter how the tobacco industry used
to successfully influence its audience.
“If more golfers look athletic, it portrays a much
better image for the game.” said Rory, but that
really doesn’t encourage the junior Brendan
de Jonges, the mini Colt Knosts or the next
Kiradech Aphibarnrats does it?
And then we struggle to appeal to those kids
not who don’t want to play football, rugby,
cricket, tennis or any of those other morepopular-than-golf-sports in schools. Hell,
even cross-country runner magazine has a
bigger circulation than Today’s Golfer.
What golf needs to do is call in the advertising
executives of the 1980s.
And that is the biggest shame. Golf needs to
look a bit edgier, cooler and more inclusive.
If Rickie Fowler’s alter-ego Dick Fowler PI
has anything to do with it, golf has been
given opportunities.
Unfortunately those creative types have
moved onto to bigger projects, the likes
of Ridley Scott, Charles Saatchi and David
Puttnam are testament to what offering
your brand to free thinkers can do.
It won’t surprise you that there are more
young people smoking than there there
are young golfers right now. In fact there
are more underage drinkers than there are
under-18 golfers. So they must be doing
something right to encourage such an
embrace of bad habits.
“Golf is the greatest, coolest, most
inclusive game in the world”
What Is The Gateway Into Golf?
So what is the answer for the ‘Gateway into
Golf’ question? How do we get children to
embrace the game of golf?
According to Rory McIlroy, it’s as simple as
pro golfers hitting the gym and becoming
role models for the next batch of superstars:
Ross Starkey
is a writer and golf blogger who, as a child,
once had a tantrum on the opening hole
of the infamous one-club challenge at St
Andrews in 1984 featuring Ballesteros,
Trevino, Faldo and Aoki forcing his golf
loving father to miss one of the all-time
great golfing exhibitions!
What golf needs is some wider advertising,
perhaps during the Open Championship
coverage on Sky Sports, that says, without
irony:
Because it really is.
Unfortunately, until golf’s marketing people
get their asses into gear it will remain, for our
kids, as sterile and boring as ever. It doesn’t
have to be.
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A version of this article originally appeared
on www.LetsTalkGolf.co.uk
YOURCADDY MAG - ISSUE 7 | 49