How Golf Became So Lucrative

I cannot think of any other sport that involves more peer pressure than golf. Hands down, golf is the most socially-driven sport in America. When I say that, I am not talking about simply being collective spectators, but rather participants. With golf, unlike other sports, age has little influence on who can and cannot play. I have personally seen two-year-olds swinging next to eighty-two-year-olds on the driving range. In fact, a study by the National Golf Foundation found that there were approximately 28.6 million golfers in the United States in 2009.  

Golf is by no means a cheap sport, so let’s go a little further and put things into a monetary perspective: the average golfer will spend $2,776 per year on their sport, according to a 2009 survey conducted by Golf Magazine. Where are all these costs coming from? Of course, the first thing any golfer needs is the proper equipment. A respectable set of clubs will set you back about $1,000 these days. (Drivers alone sell for $300 or more.) And with technology constantly altering the game, there is a never-ending pressure amongst golfers to have the latest and greatest clubs in their bag. “Oh, you have the Taylormade R11? Well I just purchased the R11S…”

When I bought my R11 last summer, it was the hottest tool in golf. If you were serious about your game, if you wanted to stay competitive, you spent the money to get the revolutionary new driver with the white- not black- head. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3joDnxsyi4&safe=active) When I saw the R11S commercial for the first time, I was rather upset. “Wait, what? There’s a new one out? Already? Man, I’m out of the loop now.” Most golfers I know will update their drivers every two years or so. For better performance on the course? Yes. To keep up with everyone else? Most definitely. 

The spending doesn’t stop at clubs, though. There is one other vital (and costly) piece of equipment you’ll need before you can “tee it up”: a ball. Snapple Fact #154 says, “Americans spend more than $630 million a year on golf balls.” But choose carefully! You have plenty of options when it comes to distance, launch height, spin, and control around the greens. Titleist, in particular, the #1 ball in golf, would love for you to play their product because they “care about your game”. 

 After all, don’t you feel more secure buying from a company that cares about you, one who sincerely wants to help you realize your golfing dreams? Through this ad, Titleist is inviting you to be a part of their family, from the production team (the engineers and factory workers) to playing team (the golfers). As humans we innately yearn to belong, to be accepted for who we are. Often times, we are pigeonholed into specific social groups and labeled by only one aspect of our lives. At this point, the world only sees me as a “student”. Titleist shifts this dogma. They offer their product to all players, no matter the state of their game; labels like “amateur” and “professional” are irrelevant. 

Srixon takes a slightly different approach. 

The message is clear: “Make the switch” to our ball and start winning, just like David Howell, Tim Clark, and Jim Furyk did. When we watch celebrity-endorsed ads like this, we tend to fall into a copycat mindset. We delude ourselves into thinking that if we use the same equipment, wear the same clothes, or drive the same cars as the professionals, we can be just as successful as they are. As a result, we rush to buy whatever products we are told will launch us to that ideal level of accomplishment. 

Overall, the root of all golf-related spending is the need for association. This can go much deeper than identifying with certain brands and players, however. Some golfers don’t really care about the sport itself, at all. They pay hundreds of dollars a year to become members of country clubs for the sole purpose of forming connections with other people. The act of golfing is just a socialization tool for them. 

Moving beyond the context of golf, the greatest association we could ever make is to the person and nature of Jesus Christ. He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). There is a tough condition in this statement: denying our own identities. When we decide to follow Christ, we are simultaneous deciding to reject who we are outside of Him. Of course, this is no easy task and it can take a whole lifetime, if ever, to master. Still, no greater satisfaction can be found than living on earth as Christ did- for truth, justice, and love.