As golf stories go, this one doesn’t get any better with age. Must be 10 years ago now, I was at dinner with a former world number one tennis player, a gargoyle of a man, who was holding court with Falstaffian vim, veering from tall tale to tall tale with the delicacy of a drunk waiter carrying a tray of trifles. Did he play golf, he barked at one point, segue – if there was one – long since lost. “No,” came the reply to his own question. “I still f**k my wife!”
The point, shrouded in an insufferably boorish form of raconteur-ship, was that playing golf was a sign that a man was past it. Lost his spunk, if you will. His argument could scarcely have carried less weight that day, and yet somehow I knew what he meant. Back then, golf wasn’t cool. It had its fans, and post-Tiger, it was becoming more inclusive, but at a social level, its vibe was still old-mannish, gray and ever so slightly embarrassing.
But fast-forward to the here and now, and golf is bouncing. Whisper it, but it might even be having a moment. Participation is up, so too interest, and golfers are getting younger. The R&A, the game’s governing body, has published research indicating that there are 10 million golfers in Europe these days, 2.7m more than in 2016, and that the average age of a golfer has dropped by five years to 41.
Why? Explanations vary
At a soft level, there’s no doubt golf did well out of the pandemic. It was something you could still do for long periods when everything else was banned. And seen through the lens of being stuck at home all day, the physical and mental health benefits of the game came into sharp focus. Spending time in nature, walking green fairways, hanging out with a few mates, and playing a game in friendly competition is good for you. Who knew?
Golf – as it needed to – has evolved, as well. Like your office, it’s more casual now. Stuffy spike-bar culture is on the wane, clubs are running fun, immersive programs for juniors, and if the mood takes, you can wear a hoodie on the course. A man with a mullet and tufty mustache won the 150th Open this year – some player that Cameron Smith.
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