When we get around to discussing golf over a few drinks, one topic inevitably comes up; how do we grow the game of golf in the Philippines?
First, let’s take a look at the state of the game today. The Philippine Golf Tour has been with us now for almost a decade. It may not look it, but in my view, the PGT has revitalized the game with its very existence.
Golf was in the doldrums before the Philippine Golf Tour started in 2011. There was nothing going on; no professional tour, sponsors were indifferent to the sport, club share prices were down and golf languished.
Since then, things have turned around. The faces of Philippine golf today are younger, more dynamic, of mixed backgrounds and are just better all around. Miguel Tabuena has thrilled golf fans all over the world and is working hard to get on the PGA Tour. He has inspired a new generation of golfers.
This new enthusiasm affected golf club share prizes positively. The clubs that have made progress have seen their shares appreciate, others have maintained their value. New golf courses are being built all over the country. There’s an air of optimism in Philippine golf.
It begs the questions—Is Philippine golf finally out of trouble? How can we continue to grow golf in a sustainable manner?
The National Golf Association of the Philippines is the governing body of the game in the Philippines. It’s had its share of troubles in years past, but the new board has given the game a big shot in the arm. Still the NGAP’s formula of growing the game has been to put on amateur tournaments to identify and develop golfers for the country’s national team. The association also puts on tournaments for other predominantly male golf demographics—the Philippine Senior and Mid-Amateur series.
There are a couple of associations handling junior golf. Not the best setup for junior development. Women’s golf has been administered by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines, which again focuses on tournaments for women.
Is that the extent of golf development in the Philippines? Putting on as many tournaments as possible? Surely, there’s more to growing the game than this. Also, why are efforts to grow the game so fragmented? Why can’t we all work together to grow the game?
Today, golf competes with every other sport and pastime that exists in the country. Team sports, extreme sports, traditional sports all vie for the attention of the young and not-so-young. Heck, even video games take people away from the game.
True growth lies in inclusivity. Ideally, the people on the fairways should mirror the people on the street. In the stuffy game of golf, one would be forgiven for thinking that it’s going to take some doing.
But if one looks closely, perhaps not. A quick trip to the Army Driving Range in Fort Bonifacio reveals a broad spectrum of people working on their swings. Some servicemen, some old, some young, many in-between. People that span the economic spectrum. One must conclude that if this was the face of golf in every golf club, the game would be pretty robust.
To infuse new blood into golf, we have to create entry points for interested individuals. A comprehensive series of free golf clinics and other activities designed and organized to take the prospective golfer from a newbie on the driving range to his first foray on the fairways needs to be created and appropriately funded. This needs to be done on a nationwide level at every public golf course. These activities should target people that don’t currently play but would if they had an opportunity. Golf, to the uninitiated, is an intimidating sport. We need to do everything we can to create opportunities for people to pick it up.
Another complaint is that golf takes too long to play. If local golf courses encouraged more people to play nine holes, that could address that issue sufficiently. Ideally, there would be nine-hole golf courses or par 3 golf courses to further cut the amount of time it takes to play a round, but if you can show up a couple of hours before sunset and get nine-holes in, that’s enough.
We need to market the game somehow so it can compete for attention in a time where attention spans have shortened. In neighboring countries, billboards advertising golf course promos or golf tournaments are regular sights. It might not seem like much, but social awareness shapes opinions and creates interest. We need to move golf to the forefront.
Philippine golf needs a makeover to make it cool. It needs a new image.
Golf is very popular with practitioners of advertising and media. Why not create an advisory board to oversee this? Billboards aren’t always booked. It would be easy enough to persuade members of the Outdoor Advertising Association to put up at least one billboard promoting golf on each of the major expressways if someone thought to work out a deal to do so.
Made for TV events like a long drive or skills contest can draw positive attention to the sport and encourage participation. Just look at how the sport of MMA has grown in recent years. Its level of recognition and the number of people that are now practitioners of the sport can be credited to the amount of time it spends on the air.
Perhaps we need a brand ambassador for the game. If Miguel Tabuena ever qualifies for the PGA Tour and wins. It would be automatic. There are many celebrities that are avid golfers. It wouldn’t be hard to get several of them to serve as ambassadors of the game. Their presence would virtually guarantee a long list of participants at one of those hypothetical free clinics we discussed earlier.
Golf equipment isn’t that prohibitively priced when compared to some other recreational activities. It’s more affordable that scuba diving or cycling or triathlon and since it doesn’t wear out, buying used is a real option. Many that currently play the game have spare clubs lying around in their storerooms. How hard would it be to ask for donations of experienced golf equipment that could be then used for outreach programs?
There may be some that will be quick to disparage these methods, but we need to think outside the box to move the game forward in this country. The lack of funds means that we must be creative, even unorthodox with our methods. The industry must move on this as one. If that can be managed, anything is possible.
Those that truly love the game are eager to share it with anyone they can. It is the nature, nay, the spirit of the game. Fostering that desire is key to the growth of golf in the Philippines.