State of Play 2020:
HSBC Golf Report
1
Contents
For a PDF copy of this report or
‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’ please contact:
[email protected]
State of Play 2020: HSBC Golf Report
was written by Hill+Knowlton
Strategies for HSBC
Editorial Team: Steve Bradley
with James Fenn and Elliot Hardy
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Foreword
Current State of Play: 6 Hole Summary
The Olympic Factor
Global Growth
Innovation: The Rise of New Formats
Technology and Golf
Tourism and Environment
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“The (Olympic)
opportunities
presented to golf are
unprecedented”
Tim Finchem, PGA Tour
Commissioner
“I f we all do our job (the
Olympics) could provide
a springboard to really
grow the game that we
could not previously
have envisaged”
Martin Slumbers, R&A
Chief Executive
“I can’t say I’m not
“We are a content and
disappointed that
entertainment business
some players have
with golf as our platform”
removed themselves
from consideration
Keith Pelley, European Tour
for Olympic selection.
Commissioner
Those who have decided
to pass will be missing
the opportunity
of a lifetime”
“What we really need
is more Asian golf
role models to inspire
this part of the (UK)
community”
Brendon Pyle, The Golf
Foundation Chief Executive
“Social media totally
unlocks the personality
of golfers in a really
positive way”
Alex Trickett,
Twitter UK Head of Sport
“Strong medal-winning
performances from
Asian golfers in Rio
would, hopefully,
persuade governments
to embrace the game”
Spencer Robinson, AGIF
Chief Communications
Officer
“At times you feel like
you’re on tour with rock
stars not golfers!”
Padraig Harrington,
Double Open Champion
Peter Dawson, IGF
President
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“Golf has digitalised
significantly in the last
four year”
Mikko Manerus, Golf
GameBook Co-Founder
and CEO
“TopGolf is an amazing
concept for golf”
Melissa Reid, Five-time
LET winner
“When the LPGA began
putting players’ twitter
handles on the caddie
bibs, many felt we had
lost our minds”
Mike Whan, LPGA
Commissioner
“The biggest (Olympic)
effect is likely to be on
the women’s game”
Andrew Curry, The Futures
Company Director
“There’s potential for
video games to have
real practical use in the
world of golf”
Martin Robinson,
Eurogamer Features
and Reviews Editor
“Slow play is the bane
of our sport both
professionally and
otherwise”
Darren Clarke, European
Ryder Cup Captain
“Sustainability is a new
imperative for all sectors
and businesses, and
we’re now seeing golf
step forward to lead the
field in sport”
Jonathan Smith, Golf
Environment Organization
Chief Executive
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Foreword
by Giles Morgan, HSBC Global Head
of Sponsorship and Events
Four years ago we commissioned a report
called ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’. We wanted
to see where the game might be at the
turn of the next decade. We spoke to
players and leading industry experts who
consistently spoke of a sport in a state of
transition fuelled by a positive momentum
of change. Key headlines from the report
included a growing Asian presence at the
top table of world golf, greater innovation
and a younger, more accessible game.
Now, as we reach the “halfway house”
between our original report in 2012 and
our projected vision of 2020, we have
revisited our initial findings and asked
some of the most influential people in
golf to give us their view on the progress
made over the last four years and their
predictions for the future. We have
spoken to players, governing bodies
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and experts from the world of grass roots
development, broadcast, social media,
gaming and sustainability. Welcome to
State of Play 2020: The HSBC Report.
As was the case in 2012, it’s an Olympic
year. But the fundamental difference is
that after an absence of 112 years, 2016
sees golf return to arguably the biggest
sporting stage of them all. The last time
golf was at the Olympics the New York
City subway hadn’t opened, the ink was
still drying on the Entente Cordiale and
public radio was yet to hit the airwaves.
More than a century later, many of
those closest to the game believe
Olympic status represents a watershed
moment for golf.
In terms of profile and participation,
fame and funding, Rio 2016 can be
a tipping point for golf. We are at the
brow of the hill. On the other side is
a land of opportunity. But there are
many challenges ahead and there is
much work to do. As we all know, a great
opportunity can become a great challenge
if not acted upon and the time to act is
now. As stakeholders in the game, it
is our collective responsibility to grab
this opportunity with both hands – with
The Open, Rio 2016 and the Ryder Cup
in successive months we may never
get a better chance. And with a golden
generation of talented young golfers
dominating both the men’s and the
women’s game, arguably golf has never
been a more attractive proposition for
a time poor, young audience bombarded
by a myriad of choices. Now is the
time to engage them. Standing still is
not an option.
It’s heartening that there’s a great desire
for change within the game – that’s clear
from the insights you are about to read.
As a long term sponsor of this wonderful
sport, we are hugely passionate about
golf and are proud to have opened up
new territories and tournaments; in
the last thirteen years we have been
involved in more than 50 tournaments and
brought world class golf events to China,
Singapore and Abu Dhabi. In truth, it
was events in the UAE capital earlier this
year that sparked the idea for this report;
it was here that the European Tour first
allowed shorts for practice and pro-am
rounds; it was here that our winner Rickie
Fowler sported a pair of orange and white
high-tops and it was here that 22-year-old
rookie Bryson DeChambeau surprised
the golfing world whilst doffing his cap –
literally – to his golfing hero Ben Hogan.
It’s this unique cocktail of the old and the
new that makes golf such a compelling
proposition in 2016. A sport steeped in
tradition but energised by change. For
the last two years we’ve been running a
campaign called Anyone’s Game. As Rio
2016 appears on the sporting horizon,
today, more than ever before, golf is in
a position to deliver on that promise.
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Current State of Play:
6 Hole Summary
Olympic status can change the game despite
concerns. Emerging golfing nations campaigned for
Olympic status; now those nations are set to benefit
through increased funding and exposure.
Zika virus, player withdrawals and
formatting concerns are clouds on the
Rio horizon but the opportunity is too big
to miss. The Olympics can give the sport
a more athletic image and double Open
Champion Padraig Harrington believes
the world’s biggest sporting event can
become golf’s “fifth major”over time.
Asian golf is on the charge but
barriers remain. The men’s game in
Asia is “catching up” with the women’s
game where six of the world’s Top 10
hail from the region. New Asian stars
like Hideki Matsuyama, Haotong Li and
Ariya Jutanugarn are inspiring the next
generation but cost, accessibility and
facilities are still barriers to entry across
Asia. China could be the main beneficiary
of Olympic status.
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More immersive viewing experiences
are taking us closer to the action.
TV viewing is a richer experience
with bigger screens and HD now
commonplace. Sports coverage is being
redesigned to maximise the visual
experience with tech solutions originally
created for professional sports coaches
now in the hands of the viewing public.
Social media has been
transformational for golf. From hightops to holiday high jinks, fashion shoots
to favourite bands, a golden generation
of young golfers are sharing their
experiences on and off the course with
an audience of millions. Incredible to think
that the words “social media” were used
only once in our report four years ago.
We need new formats now. The days
of the five hour round are numbered
– new formats are a necessity not an
option. The good news is that short forms
of the game are now being embraced
from the top down; whether it’s The
R&A’s new nine-hole competition,
TopGolf with a burger and a beer or high
speed SPRINT6GOLF, short form golf is
now very much part of the game.
Sustainability is a challenge and an
opportunity. Golf has to provide more
value to people and nature, and raise its
positive profile in doing so. There’s an
increasing drive towards greater efficiency
and collaboration.
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The Olympic Factor
One hundred and twelve years is a long time.
When golf last appeared in the Olympics at St. Louis
in 1904, just two nations (the United States and
Canada) were represented in the two competitions:
men’s team and individual. Half a dozen 10-man
teams originally entered the golf at Glen Echo Country
Club although only two actually turned up and a third
team was hastily assembled.
United States squads took Gold, Silver
and Bronze in the team format while
the individual match play event was
won by a 46-year-old former cricketer,
Canadian George Lyon (Extract from
“Golf and the Olympic Games” by Bill
Mallon – International Society of Olympic
Historians).
Lyon actually walked on his hands to
receive his prize and it’s fair to say that
a century on, the sport of golf has been
turned on its head. At Rio 2016 at least
30 countries, from all five continents, are
expected to be represented in both men’s
and women’s competitions.
Joining the biggest show in sport is
an achievement in itself. To qualify for
the Games, sports need to be played
competitively in at least 75 countries
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on four continents and to be included
in a number of regional multi-sports
tournaments. But just being included in
Rio is not the full scope of golf’s ambition.
When interviewed in 2012 for ‘Golf’s
2020 Vision’, golf legend Gary Player said:
Fast forward four years and it’s fair to
say that golf’s embrace of the Olympic
opportunity is more a limp handshake
than a fulsome bear hug. Let’s face it,
there are a number of troubling blots on
the Rio landscape – Zika virus, player
withdrawals, scheduling concerns and
question marks over format. Rory McIlroy
and Jason Day are the latest players to
pull out over Zika, joining Marc Leishman
and Vijay Singh; Adam Scott cited
scheduling issues; Graeme McDowell
is, understandably, taking time out for
the birth of his second child and South
African pair Louis Oosthuizen and Charl
Schwartzel will also be missing. Will this
lead to a domino effect of more players
pulling out? Possibly.
But – and it’s a big but – there is huge
enthusiasm from some of golf’s biggest
names in the US and Europe; the likes
of Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Henrik
Stenson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia,
Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer
are all big fans as are many players
from the less traditional golfing nations.
Which brings us back to Gary Player’s
new, emerging markets. To name two,
South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and India’s
Anirban Lahiri are flying high in the world
rankings and can’t wait to get started.
It’s typical of the attitude of the
developing golfing markets as Peter
Dawson, President of the International
Golf Federation (IGF), explains:
“The Olympics has the potential to
give our sport a huge fillip. It was the
smaller nations – in golfing terms – that
campaigned for the International Golf
Federation to drive for golf’s return to the
programme of Olympic sports. They said
it would dramatically increase exposure of
golf in their countries, make governments
more supportive of our sport and lead to
greater funding.
“In short, it would provide by far the best
‘grow the game’ opportunity available
to us at a time when participation was
passing its peak in mature golf markets.
I’m delighted that after much hard work
we were able to convince the IOC of
golf’s merits, culminating in a ‘yes’ vote
in Copenhagen in 2009. Even ahead of
the Rio Games we are already seeing the
positive impact in many countries around
the world.”
“I am thrilled that golf
will be included in the
Olympics once again.
The exposure will be a
great catalyst for growth
and development around
the world, especially in
new, emerging markets”
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in 170+ countries each week. Thus, if
we can gain new fans, we are all prepared
to continue to provide them golf all year
long. At the LPGA, we believe that many
fans will be amazed by the athleticism,
talent and charisma of our players. If fans
like what they see, we’ll be on-air in 170
countries the week after Rio.”
Of course, there will be some key names
missing in Rio and golf’s administrators’
hopes are tempered slightly by the
no-shows, as Dawson admits: “I can’t
say I’m not disappointed that some
players have removed themselves from
consideration for Olympic selection” but
he is adamant that they are “missing the
opportunity of a lifetime”.
The IGF was founded in 1958 to
encourage the international development
of the game. Recognised by the IOC as
the official international federation for
golf, the IGF comprises 132 federations
from 126 countries. The IGF Olympic Golf
Committee was created in 2008 to drive
its effort for inclusion in the 2016 Games.
“Just think how many
sports we watch only
when they are televised
as part of the Olympic
Games,”
says Dawson, who retired as Chief
Executive of the R&A in 2015. “In the
same way, golf will be watched for the
first time by many millions of people from
countries where our sport is little known.
This has to have a positive effect on
participation globally.” It’s worth noting
that for many UK viewers, the Olympics
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could be the last chance to watch the
world’s best golfers for a while; none
of the four majors will be shown live
on terrestrial TV in 2017.
R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers
echoes this view: “It always amazes me
at the time of the Olympics how many
different sports I watch and really enjoy
and I feel golf will benefit from that. Golf’s
TV partners have done an excellent job in
increasing reach but the Olympics allows
this to move to a different level with
potentially billions tuning in to watch golf.
The Olympics gives a completely new
dimension and if we all do our job it could
provide a springboard to really grow the
game that we could not previously have
envisaged.”
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan also
cites the TV factor, saying: “The exciting
thing for golf, is that unlike many other
Olympic sports, if casual fans enjoy golf in
the Olympics, professional golf is televised
Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the
PGA Tour and IGF board member,
acknowledges player concerns around
Zika virus and is providing a regular source
of information from the IOC, Rio 2016
and, through them, the World Health
Organization. But he is sure-footed on
the prize awaiting golf: “The Olympics
are the ultimate stage in sports to help
foster growth of interest and participation
on a global basis. Consider, for instance,
that the global television audience for the
London Olympics in 2012 was 3.6 billion,
with an estimated 1 billion watching the
Opening Ceremony alone. Coverage of
the golf competition in Rio will reach
an enormous worldwide audience and
expose the sport in a new light.
“There is no bigger single sports stage
in the world than the Olympic Games.
So the opportunities presented to
golf in terms of building interest and
participation, particularly where it is a
developing sport, are unprecedented.
We will have to wait to see what the
true impact is in future years, but this
certainly has the potential to be one of the
most impactful developments in recent
memory for the sport.
“While golf is played globally, the
Olympics will provide unprecedented
worldwide exposure and opportunities
for the game and its athletes. No sporting
event receives more coverage than the
Summer Olympics. With such a massive
worldwide audience, and male and female
golfers representing dozens of countries,
many of which are not as developed in the
sport, there is tremendous potential to
create new golf fans.
“We see the greatest impact
occurring in countries that are in the
developmental stages of the game
as it has opened funding sources and
program development for both youth and
adults by their respective governments,
National Olympic Committees and golf
federations. This, in turn, should lead to
further investment and sponsorship of
golf programs and organisations to help
foster the Olympic dream.
“What’s interesting is that when the
bid process began, the world’s leading
players at that time were very supportive
and were tremendously helpful in
securing golf’s approval by the IOC.
Since that time, we’ve seen an entire
wave of terrific young talent emerge and
become prominent figures on the world’s
golf stage.”
The young talent Finchem refers to –
Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
and many more – are spearheading a
new era for golf; an era where fashion,
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lifestyle, social media and gruelling
training regimes are very much part of
the game. The latter is something
Dawson is keen to highlight: “Being part
of the Olympics will rightly give golf a
more athletic image than in the past and
our athletes will be seen alongside those
from other sports. Time will tell but I
think all this will lead to more players and
more fans not so much in established golf
markets but in countries where golf has
real room to grow. This can only be good
for the business of golf, be it in rounds
played, tourism, equipment, apparel
and so on.”
England golfer Melissa Reid, who
as a youngster was part of Sir Clive
Woodward’s British Olympic Association
project, agrees:
“I think the Olympics
could certainly change
the image of the sport –
golf is becoming much
more respected as a
sport in the sense of the
athleticism. Golf is now
much more regarded
as an athletic sport
and something like
the Olympics will only
help that.”
Double Open Champion Padraig
Harrington is excited by the possibilities
of Rio 2016. He said: “The Olympics
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could become golf’s fifth major over
time and for certain nations it could be
transformational for the game. You could
certainly make a case for Rio 2016 being
the most important moment in golf’s
recent history and it could act as a tipping
point for the sport in terms of reaching a
new and different audience. It could do
wonders for participation and funding,
especially in emerging markets.”
The financial benefits to golf of Olympic
inclusion are immediate although hard
to quantify prior to the Rio Games.
Journalist Tim Maitland reports that when
badminton was threatened with delisting
from the Games in the early 2000s, it was
calculated that Olympic status prompted
investments in badminton exceeding
$100m globally from governments and
National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
This money secured badminton’s future
health and development, particularly in
emerging markets. TV rights then provide
further income to a sport – estimated
to be $6m for badminton more than a
decade ago.
Initial funding of sports is the spark that
lights the fire at grass roots level. As soon
as new and emerging markets start to see
progress – particularly in the high-octane
glare of an Olympic Games – funding and
participation increases and sports bodies
can progress towards self-sufficiency.
Says Finchem: “As expected, national golf
federations already have reaped benefits
in terms of growth and support within their
own countries as they institute programmes
to develop players with the ultimate hope of
developing Olympic golfers. This can only
be a positive for the long-term interest and
growth for the sport.”
European Tour Commissioner Keith
Pelley concurs:
“Golf in the Olympics
can potentially open
up emerging markets
as well as funding that
many countries will be
able to unlock because
of their association with
the Games.”
be the catalyst to stronger government
support across Asia: “Strong medalwinning performances from Asian golfers
in Rio would not only be well received
and raise the profile of the sport in the
region, but would, hopefully, persuade
governments to embrace the game.
The Olympics can also encourage
governments and developers to offer
a greater number of facilities that
are accessible. For example, nine-hole
par-three courses, driving ranges and
pitch-and-putt. It can also encourage
more Asian businesses to invest in
sponsorship of golf at both amateur
and professional level.”
Spencer Robinson, Chief Communications
Officer at the Asian Golf Industry
Federation (AGIF), says Rio 2016 can
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The Golf Foundation, the UK charity
committed to giving children and young
people the opportunity to experience golf
and the benefits it has to offer, is already
seeing the ‘Olympic Effect’ in action.
Chief Executive Brendon Pyle comments:
“Well, first of all, the Olympics delivers
huge profile which is great but we know
from our conversations with The R&A that
the developing golf countries or the new
kids on the block are very excited as they
can get funding from their government
which could make a real difference.
The R&A funded us to send out two
of our team to Rio to run a StreetGolf
tournament designed to encourage
young people to make innovative use of
everyday equipment to make sessions
different, challenging and enjoyable.
“It’s a great opportunity to deliver a totally
new way of playing golf and taking golf
to the people rather than the people
having to find golf. Not many of these kids
have ever had this opportunity before.
We’ve got training camps and a series
of festivals running up to the Rio 2016
opening ceremony and we’re hoping that
thousands of kids will get involved before
Rio. Playing golf in a different way and
taking golf to the people is the beauty of
what we are doing.”
Closer to home, the Olympics is helping
The Golf Foundation tell the family golf
story and the organisation is working
with England Golf, Scottish Golf and
The R&A on a number of projects. The
Golf Foundation is also working with the
innovative Premier League 4 Sport (PL4S)
project, which started in September
2009 and has helped over 80,000 young
people get involved in sport in their local
community. Run in partnership with Sport
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England, PL4S sees Premier League
clubs acting as a hub linked to community
sports facilities, which in turn are linked to
local secondary schools to create satellite
sports centres. Adds Pyle:
“We’re working with 20
clubs on Premier League
4 Sport projects. We’re
working together to
promote StreetGolf and
it’s been tremendous
with our golfers playing
in their respective
football strips. It’s all
about cross-promoting
sports and tapping into
the power of football.”
Pyle also illustrates how Asian golfers
succeeding in the Rio Games could even
boost golf participation in established
golfing markets such as the UK: “We
have partnerships with the Youth Sport
Trust and StreetGames and have been
working with a mosque in Bradford on a
Tri-Golf and StreetGolf project. Tri-Golf is
a mini version of golf designed specifically
for young children at infant, primary and
junior schools and this particular project
is great but what we really need is more
Asian golf role models to inspire this part
of the community.”
One such role model is India’s Anirban
Lahiri. Twice a winner on the European
Tour in 2015, Lahiri is India’s finest golfer
and aged 29 he is in the prime of his
playing career. When he tied for fifth at
the 2015 PGA Championship it was the
best finish by an Indian golfer in a major
and Lahiri became the first Indian golfer
to play in the Presidents Cup. He is
a genuine contender for an Olympic
medal in Rio.
Coming from a country of 1.25 billion
people, where the dominant sport is
cricket, Lahiri’s potential success in the
Rio Olympics could have an enormous
impact on golf participation in his home
country. “It would be huge,” Lahiri told
the Golf Channel earlier this year. “How
many people watch the Olympics in
India? I would say eight or nine out of 10.
How many people watch the Masters?
Probably one out of 100. Just in terms
of eyeballs, just in terms of popularity, in
terms of just making people aware of the
sport or having the government take a
stronger initiative to promote the sport,
it would be massive.”
Clearly, Rio 2016 is not without its issues
– there will be more criticism, there may
be more withdrawals. But the opportunity
is clear and the opportunity is potentially
transformational; if we don’t grab it, we
are not only risking the future of golf at
the Olympics, we are risking the future
of golf full stop. Remember the world
of tennis took some time to warm to its
Olympic return back in 1988 but things
have progressed in a positive direction
ever since. Let’s make a flying start to
this great adventure – it could change
everything.
Melissa Reid shares this view: “On the
back of Olympic publicity, sports can get
a lot of young people wanting to play, not
just young people, any age really. You
only have to look at British Cycling. In
Beijing Team GB dominated the cycling
and everyone went cycling mad and on
the back of it people are still going crazy
for cycling. I think when kids see Lydia Ko
being world number one at 17 it is going
to inspire them because they’re going to
be saying I’m not 17 for another 10 years,
that’s what I want to achieve, that’s what
I want to do. I think they can visualize
themselves doing it and I think they can
relate much better to say a Lydia Ko than
an older player.”
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Global Growth
According to Mindshare, global interest in golf has
increased significantly in the last four years. The
latest data shows that 24 per cent of 18-64 year old
adults around the world have an interest in golf, which
represents an increase of 9 per cent points in four years.
There has also been an increase in the
number of the most passionate fans who
say they “love” golf, and also an increase
in the broader group of people who say
they “like” golf.
2011
4
11
2015
7
17
Like Golf
Love Golf
Fig.1 Golf interest 2011-2015,
increase in percentage*
This growth is being driven by markets
like Brazil and India, where there has been
a 13 per cent point increase in interest
during this period. No coincidence that
Pune-born Anirban Lahiri is currently
hovering on the edge of the world’s Top
50. Interest has increased amongst men
and women, but the rate of growth is
higher amongst women. In the last four
years there has been an 11 per cent
point increase in golf interest amongst
women, compared with an 8 per cent
point increase amongst men. If this trend
continues, golf will soon enjoy a similar
gender balance to sports like tennis which
have traditionally appealed equally to both
men and women.
A note of caution though – the growth
rate in China has slowed somewhat with
interest in golf only 6 per cent points
higher now than four years ago, which is
a similar growth rate to the UK. This trend
is perhaps a reflection of the Chinese
authorities closing large numbers of golf
courses as part of their crackdown on
pursuits which they believe contribute to
corruption and lavish lifestyles.
The Mindshare data also suggests that
golf fans are getting younger. The growth
in interest amongst 18-24 year olds during
this period was 12 per cent points. There
was a similar increase amongst 25-34
year olds and 35-44 year olds. By contrast
*Source: Mindshare “Mindreader” 2011 & 2015, Love/Like Golf %, 28 Markets
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there was only a slight increase amongst
45-55 year olds (3 per cent points) and
55-65 year olds (2 per cent points).
was 27 when he won the 2015 US PGA
Championship and Danny Willett a year
older when he won the green jacket at
Augusta earlier this spring.
18-24
Since we published ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’,
the average age of men’s Major winners
has fallen from 35.75 in 2013, to 28.5 in
2014 and 27 in 2015. And amateurs are
knocking on the door too. When 22-yearold Irish amateur Paul Dunne shot a thirdround of 66 to tie for the 54-hole lead at
The Open in 2015, it was the lowest score
ever shot by an amateur in the third round
of the tournament. After that third round
Spieth said: “There will be an amateur
who wins a PGA Tour event, possibly
even a Major, I think, at some point over
the next decade or so. The amateur game
has changed to be more like professional
golf in that there are more tournaments,
better golf courses, harder courses and
better competition. That’s how I felt
playing amateur golf. There’s just no
fear and I think it’s awesome.” Dunne
graduated from the University of Alabama
and turned pro after The Open. He is
finding his feet on the European Tour
this year.
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25-34
13
35-44
11
45-54
55-65
3
2
Fig.2 Golf interest 2011-2015,
percentage increase by age*
In ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’ we reported
that there were an estimated 80 million
golfers worldwide playing on close to
40,000 courses. The report analysed the
changing demographic of players led by
“a new wave of
youngsters – across
many geographies –
sweeping into the game
and reinventing its
appeal and ambition”
Back then we highlighted the fact that
three of the 2011 Majors had been
won by men in their twenties (Charl
Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley and Rory
McIlroy). We also predicted that “future
winners could be younger than this”.
Well, four of the last six Major winners
have been in their twenties – in 2015
Jordan Spieth won both the Masters and
the US Open at the age of 21, Jason Day
Martin Slumbers also feels strongly on
this subject: “At the top of the amateur
game there is a very strong group of
players. That was shown last year by nine
amateurs qualifying for The Open at St
Andrews and one of them leading after
54 holes. There was also an outstanding
standard of golf on display at last year’s
Walker Cup and this year’s Curtis Cup.”
Our 2012 report also identified that future
winners “most probably will come from
Asia”. There’s no doubt that the Asian
challenge is gathering momentum. Just
*Source: Mindshare “Mindreader” 2011 & 2015, Love/Like Golf % increase by market
21
The former R&A supremo is keen to
view Asia as multiple regions because
in countries such as Japan, South Korea,
China and Thailand distinct and dynamic
structures for elite golf have evolved,
much of which feed into the higher level
of competition and greater strength in
depth, cultivated by the European Tour
and in particular, the PGA Tour based in
the United States.
PGA Tour Commissioner Finchem
believes a major Asian presence in the
Top 10 of the men’s game by 2020 is a
“possibility” and has huge confidence
in the region:
look at the Official World Golf Ranking
in the men’s game where Japan’s Hideki
Matsuyama and South Korea’s KT Kim
and Byeong Hun An have risen high into
the Top 50; and on the European Tour
China’s 20-year-old Haotong Li made a
significant breakthrough, winning the
Volvo China Open in May just months
after finishing in a tie for 7th at WGCHSBC Champions in Shanghai, the
highest finish ever by a China-born player
in a PGA TOUR event. Jeunghun Wang
from South Korea is also just 20 and in
the same month Haotong Li was busy
winning in China, he announced his arrival
on the world stage with back-to-back
victories at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius
Open and Trophee Hassan II.
In the women’s game, six of the world’s
current top 10 hail from Asia and coming
through the ranks are 20-year-old Thai
22
player Ariya Jutanugarn, who claimed
three back-to-back tournaments in May
on the LPGA Tour, and 23-year-old Haru
Nomura from Japan, who has won twice
on the LPGA Tour this season. World
number one Lydia Ko, who is 19, also has
Asian heritage, as the New Zealander was
South Korea-born.
Dawson observes: “We are blessed with
a wonderful crop of exciting new young
talent coming through and making their
mark on the game at the highest level.
This is particularly so in women’s golf
where we are seeing players coming to
the fore seemingly at younger ages each
year. The top Asian players are growing
stronger every year and already dominate
the women’s rankings. I think it is a
mistake to regard Asia as a single region
but collectively the players from Asian
countries in the men’s game will, I’m
sure, continue their progress.”
“We already know how
prominent the Korean
golfers are on the LPGA
and we are seeing more
outstanding talent
emerging on the men’s
tours. And not just from
the mainstays of Japan
and Korea. We are seeing
more and more players
competing at a high
level from countries like
Thailand, India, Malaysia,
Taiwan and certainly,
China.”
Results over the past 20 years illustrate
that South Korea has overtaken Japan as
Asia’s leading golf nation at men’s world
level; other Asian countries like Thailand
and India are now present at world
level and China is on the brink of joining
them, so the diversity of Asian golfers is
increasing. What’s taking longer are the
hardest, last steps – reaching the Top 10
and winning Majors.
Asian golf is clearly on an upward curve.
When the original ‘2020 Vision’ report
was published in July 2012, there were
seven Asian golfers ranked in the Top 100
of the Official World Golf Ranking (four
from South Korea and three from Japan).
Four years on, at the end of June 2016
there were 10 Asian players in the Top
100 (four from South Korea, three from
Japan, two from Thailand and one from
India). The next Asian country likely to
break into the world’s Top 100 is China,
which had two players ranked between
100-150 at the end of June (Wu Ashun
at 129 and Haotong Li at 138).
Martin Slumbers thinks this could be
China’s time: “China golf may hopefully
be the biggest benefactor of our game
being in the Olympics. It is, however,
23
Major championship successes.
Based on the current talent, I would
expect to see at least two Asians
embedded in the world’s Top 10 by 2020,
most likely Hideki Matsuyama and KT Kim
with Jeunghun Wang, Byeong Hun An,
Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Gavin Green
among those breaking into the elite Top
20. As for China, well, it can go all the
way; as we’ve said over the past decade,
it’s not a matter of ‘if’, simply a case of
‘when’. HSBC’s long-term investment in
junior golf in China is now starting to bear
fruit with graduates of that programme
increasingly springing to the fore.”
a country which needs many more public
facilities to reach the broader population
and we are delighted to help the CGA in
any way we can to help them grow the
game and develop talent.”
Keith Pelley agrees and thinks China
“can go as far in the game as it wants
to” whilst triple Major winner Padraig
Harrington says: “Asia is a huge golfing
story waiting to happen and China is the
headline. The progress made in the Asia
region has been phenomenal and I fully
expect this to continue. I expect to see
Asian players in the world Top 10 sooner
rather than later. As more Asian players
break through, more will follow and we’ll
see a domino effect of Asian talent taking
their seat at the top table of world golf.”
“We’re edging ever closer,” says Spencer
Robinson. “Expect to see a greater Asian
representation in the Top 20 in the Official
World Golf Ranking in the coming years
– that ought to then be converted into
24
“While PGA Tour
China is only a couple
of years old, it already
is producing some
outstanding young
players who are moving
on to the Web.com Tour,”
teens or early 20s who we anticipate
will leave a mark on the golf landscape,
including 19-year-old Zecheng Dou,
already a two-time PGA Tour China winner
this season. China has a very bright future
as more and more young people gravitate
to the sport.”
very expensive high-end facilities towards
more affordable golf leading to greater
participation. That said, China is certainly
beginning to produce some excellent
players and I think golf’s return to the
Olympic Games has played a strong part
in this.”
Golf as a sport has not always received
support from the Chinese government and
in recent years Chinese law has forbidden
the construction of golf courses. “Golf’s
progress in China has stalled somewhat
with the well-publicised course closures,
the embargo on new construction and
the negativity from Central Government
towards certain aspects of the game,”
states Dawson. “Much of this appears
to be easing now and I hope and believe
that our game will resume its upward
path. In my view, for golf to flourish in
China there must be a move away from
European Ryder Cup captain Darren
Clarke is excited by the growth of the
game in Asia. He said: “The game in
Asia is getting stronger and stronger.
You’ve got players Hideki Matsuyama
and Byeong Hun An plus Anirban Lahiri
from India. You know they have some
wonderful facilities over there that are
getting more people interested and you
can only see them getting better and
better and producing more and more great
players. And Asia dominates the ladies’
game as well.
adds Finchem. The Web.com Tour is the
primary developmental tour to the main
PGA Tour in the United States, feeding
50 golfers to the PGA Tour each season.
“China is a perfect example of a country
that undoubtedly will benefit from golf
being an Olympic sport, as resources are
provided to develop players and potential
Olympians. The PGA Tour China Series
is certainly helping prepare these players.
There are [golfers] from China still in their
25
“China has a heightened interest in the
game and those young kids like Haotong
Li and Jin Cheng are amongst a crop of
very good young Chinese golfers who all
want to get out and show how good they
are. You know China is very regimented
in its pursuit of success and gold medals
and you know those kids would have
been training very hard from a young age
and it’s good to see all that hard work
paying off for them as individuals as well.”
Melissa Reid echoes this, saying: “I think
the next country to break through will be
China. They’ve already got some fantastic
girls coming through like Xiyu Lin – she is
the loveliest girl and she is just the start
of a culture coming through who are going
to be hugely dominating, not just in the
women’s game but in the men’s game
as well. We’ve seen a couple of guys
winning already from China and it’s quite
a new sport in China so I think in five or
ten years’ time you’re going to see
huge dominance by the Chinese players.
I would not be surprised if you saw a Major
winner on the men’s side from China.”
The pipeline is certainly strong. For
example, the CGA-HSBC China Junior
Golf Program recently clocked up its
tenth year. A sustainable long-term
structure and framework upon which the
future of Chinese golf is being built, the
program has seen the likes of Haotong
Li, Guan Tianlang and Jin Cheng progress
through its ranks in recent years; it has
put golf clubs in the hands of more than
80,000 children and provided a platform
for young, elite talent. HSBC recently
renewed the partnership for another five
years and hopes are high that there is
much more to come.
26
In 2012, HSBC’s ‘Golf 2020 Vision’
report stated,
“The emerging strength of
young Asian players in the
game mirrors the broader
shift in participation and
investment from West
to East”
The report highlighted the fact that
although some European markets
(specifically Germany, the Netherlands
and the Czech Republic) were
experiencing growth in participation, the
overall trend in Europe was heading the
other way. The report revealed the “sharp
contrast to the boom in Asia, where the
growing middle class is taking to golf in
increasing numbers, as a leisure pursuit
and as a sign of status”. It highlighted the
fact that between 2010 and 2020, Asia
is expected to double its share of global
middle class consumption to 42 per cent.
Four years on it’s clear that interest levels
are running higher than ever in Asia.
The World Golf report published by
Repucom, a Nielsen Company, in 2015
analysed interest by market and found that
five of the world’s Top 10 markets were
in Asia (South Korea, Thailand, Singapore,
Japan and Malaysia) and in terms of the
number of people Asia accounted for three
of the Top 5 globally (China 54.7m, Japan
20.5m, Thailand 16.9m). It’s significant
that the European Tour recently opened
an office in Seoul as part of its ambition
to help develop Korean golf.
The same report revealed that Asia has
the most number of golf courses under
construction with more than 200 of a
total of nearly 700 projects underway
worldwide. Spencer Robinson from
the Asian Golf Industry Federation
pinpoints a remarkable success story
developing in the region: “Vietnam has
established itself as the most active
nation in the world in terms of golf course
construction. As of early 2016, there were
35 courses open for play. At least another
dozen are in the construction phase while
approval has been given for a further 20
courses. The Vietnamese government
has identified golf as a pillar of its tourism
drive and is supportive of the investments
in grand new golfing resorts around the
country and high profile professional
tournaments.”
Other notable progress in Asia includes
the efforts of the Asian Golf Industry
Federation to provide a platform for golf
course superintendents and general
managers to receive globally-recognised
education and certification on their
doorsteps. A series of seminars and field
days was attended by eight different
Asian countries and earlier this year the
inaugural Business Management Institute
course in the region was attended by
delegates from China, Indonesia, Macau,
Malaysia and Singapore.
But there are challenges, as Robinson
explains: “The same obstacles to
expansion remain in Asia – too expensive,
too inaccessible, too few public facilities.
Also, golf needs to come up with shorter
forms of the game that will attract the
younger generation. In land-scarce Hong
Kong, meanwhile, there continues to be
scrutiny of the golf courses and debates
as to whether new housing developments
would better serve a larger proportion of
the population.
“With the exception of Vietnam, golf
course construction has virtually ground
to a halt while the number of people
playing the game has not risen at the
27
regular coaching, 10,000 to be regular
players and 5,000 to become affiliated
members of golf clubs every year.”
Slumbers points out the importance of
these first steps, saying:
“The future of any sport
is driven by young boys
and girls wanting to
play. I am constantly
saying that I feel it very
important that we are
modern and relevant to
today’s society.”
rate that many had anticipated. In China,
confusion and anger has reigned at the
bulldozing of more than 60 courses
across the country. Frustration remains
at the lack of firm guidelines from the
government as to what constitutes a
‘legal course’ or which documents and
approvals are required by a developer to
proceed with golf course construction.
Until these grey areas are cleared up,
uncertainty will remain – and the building
of new courses will slow to a trickle.
However, it could be argued, this is
not necessarily a bad scenario with a
growing school of thought that, given
the sensitivities of land and water, a
correction in the number of courses in
China was needed and that future course
construction should be directly linked
to the growth in the number of
indigenous players.”
28
Martin Slumbers has this to say:
“From our work in the region in helping
to develop the game what I see as one
of the biggest needs is to promote more
public golfing facilities and coaching so
as to reach the broader population. This
is something The R&A has helped with
in the past and it is high on my agenda
for Asia in the coming years.”
In the UK, The Golf Foundation has seen
some positive momentum. Explains
Pyle: “We’ve tracked our progress over
the last three years and of all our Key
Performance Indicators show an increase.
In 2015 we saw a 45 per cent increase
in membership for our golf programmes
and in the last 12 months we’ve created
just over 10,000 new junior golf club
members. In total, we reached at least
500,000 young people each year. By 2018
we want 50,000 of those to go through
the gates of a golf club, 25,000 to have
Last year, 35,000 young people took
part in school golf competitions as part
of HSBC Golf Roots. And twelve months
ago HSBC teamed up with The Golf
Foundation and ClubGolf Scotland to
launch HSBC Hour at The Open at St
Andrews. The initiative offered an hour
of free golf to children and families at
almost 300 golf clubs all over the UK and
served as a timely introduction to the
sport during the week of The Open. This
year sees HSBC Hour extended to China,
Hong Kong, Singapore and UAE as the
initiative goes global with support from
Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington and
Darren Clarke.
Of course, it’s not just a young person’s
game – though golf’s global leaderboard
may suggest otherwise. Golf Business
News recently reported the story of
94-year-old Norfolk golfer Geoffrey
Crosskill setting a new Guinness World
Record as the longest serving golf club
member. He joined Eaton Golf Club,
Norwich, in 1934 and has been a member
continuously for more than 82 years.
Remarkably, he’s not the oldest golfer
at the club – that honour goes to Harry
Moorhouse who is 99 years young.
The long term health of the game,
however, rests in the hands of
generations to come. Open patron HSBC
has a long-standing partnership with The
Golf Foundation and together they run
a programme called HSBC Golf Roots
which promotes the sport in schools,
helps youngsters into clubs and uses golf
to promote important life skills such as
honesty and respect.
29
Innovation: The Rise
of New Formats
In ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’ we reported the following:
“Change has always been part of the game. The golf
course originally had 11 holes, played out and back to
form a 22-hole round. In 1764 the first four holes were
converted to two ‘for the improvement of the links’,
thus reducing the course to 18 holes. Over time, as the
prominence of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club grew,
so 18 holes became the standard for a round.”
In 2016 there is one part of the game
of golf that simply has to change: speed
of play. More than ever before, people
are time poor and golf, like many sports,
needs to adapt in order to survive. Think
of what Twenty20 has done for cricket.
It’s a case of now or never; with the
Olympic opportunity looming, this is
one crucial shot that golf cannot afford
to miss.
In the professional game slow play
continues to be, well, slow. European
Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke recently
described it as “horrible” and “the bane
of our sport both professionally and
otherwise”. Like many, he would like to
see heavier penalties for slow play and
whilst professionals have to shoulder
their share of responsibility, it’s important
to educate players at all levels. As Tim
30
Finchem says: “The constant question
is how to convert the golf fan into a
participant. Time commitment continues
to be a factor and (we need) anything
that might appeal to those who are
concerned about spending too much
time on a golf course.”
In 2015 The R&A conducted a survey
on pace of play which revealed that 60
per cent of golfers would enjoy golf more
if it took less time. It also identified that
among 25-44 year-olds who are unhappy
with the pace of play, 21 per cent would
like to see the playing time reduced by
as much as one and a half hours, while
19 per cent said they would welcome the
opportunity to play nine holes more often
as an alternative format.
What’s encouraging is that the sport’s
governing bodies are starting to take a
lead. In our original report we highlighted
that Royal Troon had developed a shorter,
nine-hole version of its ‘Monument’
course, called Monument Express. Fast
forward four years and this year’s Open
Championship course is hosting a new
short form championship which clearly
demonstrates The R&A’s support for
nine-hole golf.
Martin Slumbers picks up the thread:
“I believe that in today’s society we need
to embrace a shorter and thus faster form
of the game. It is unrealistic to expect all
to be able to commit the time for 18 holes
and we must recognise that and provide
options. Evolving our sport is critical.
The 9 hole challenge pilot at Royal Troon
this year is to provide the focus on this
very point. All the signs are that it will be
successful and we are working with the
Home Nations in England, Scotland, Wales
and Ireland for them to run qualifying
events in their clubs that will send winners
to the Royal Birkdale in 2017. Pace of play
is a really important topic. There is no
doubt in my mind that excessive time to
play a round has been a burden for our
game in developing interest.”
Padraig Harrington welcomes the move,
saying: “We need to make it easier for
people to play the game and take golf to
them rather than waiting for them to find
golf. The R&A have just introduced a new
nine-hole competition format and that
is fantastic news; this kind of innovation
needs to come from the top and it’s really
encouraging to see that this is starting to
happen.”
31
Peter Dawson had this to say: “We live at
a time when more and more people seem
to be seeking instant gratification and golf
is not like that. It needs hard work and
application if it is to be enjoyed to the full.
As a result, we are seeing many initiatives
coming along designed to change the
game – to make it easier, make it quicker,
make it more instantly appealing and so
on. If these initiatives serve to kindle
interest in golf itself, and I think they will,
then they are to be welcomed as helpful
additions to the hard work going on at
club and national level all around the world
to introduce new players young and old
to our game.”
The European Tour is also on board. Keith
Pelley explained: “Look at the recent
BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth
for example. We had format innovation
with the Pressure Putt Showdown on
the Wednesday night featuring our
professionals alongside stars from other
sports in a Made-For-TV special and
we also had the BMW Shootout on the
par three second hole on the Sunday
featuring members of the public once
the final group had gone through. We
undertook a Golf Actives Study last
October whose key findings were that
11 million people in UK were ‘active’ in
golf with that figure featuring 1.3 million
youngsters. Their activity comes through
the emergence of new and innovative
shorter forms of the game such as driving
ranges, pitch and putt courses, minigolf areas and fun experiences such as
TopGolf. We have plans in place to roll
this study out in several countries across
Continental Europe in the near future.”
32
This summer has also seen the launch of
SPRINT6GOLF, a quicker, shorter format
of golf for players of all ages and abilities.
SPRINT6GOLF is played over just six
holes and utilises a free mobile app with
a 30-second shot clock to ensure a
flowing and continuous pace of play.
The concept is supported by a number
of governing bodies plus big names from
the world of sport such as Gareth Bale,
Eddie Jordan and Paul McGinley.
Founder Tom Critchley told Golf Business
News: “The support from the golf
industry was instant, with both England
Golf and The Golf Foundation keen to see
us succeed. Both organisations saw that
SPRINT6GOLF addresses many of the
current issues with golf by shortening
the time required to play and making it
more accessible, thus bringing a whole
new generation of fans into the sport and
enabling existing golfers to play more
often.” Keith Pelley is also a fan, saying:
“Innovation and having fun are the keys
to broadening golf’s appeal to all ages and
this new format certainly offers both of
those elements.”
Another recent example is Golf
Express which is run by England Golf
and offers the nine-hole round of golf as
a complete and enjoyable experience that
is consistent with the traditions of playing
the game. Under the slogan of “All the
game in half the time”, it hopes to be one
of the solutions to getting more people
playing through promoting shorter rounds
that golfers can fit into busy lifestyles in
which two hours is now the span for most
leisure activities.
As referenced earlier, both StreetGolf and
Tri-Golf are playing a part in helping to
change the game, particularly for those
starting out on their golfing adventure.
And The Golf Foundation reports that
40 per cent of counties across England
have adopted the Super Six format,
which sees teams of six primary and
secondary school pupils playing six holes
in 60 minutes. Twenty four players start
together with players on each tee.
The PGA is also committed to new
formats. Tim Finchem said: “I think
creativity is definitely a factor in
driving participation. I’ll point to a new
relationship that the PGA TOUR and
LPGA jointly announced in May with
TopGolf, which has identified a formula
to bring a fun, totally unique social
experience to golf that appeals to golf
regulars and novices alike. It’s a way to
introduce golf in a non-intimidating way
at a driving range set-up that offers targetoriented competitions, and our shared
vision is to transition TopGolf patrons to
traditional golf experiences to help grow
participation. But it doesn’t necessarily
have to be traditional in the sense of
9 or 18 holes of stroke or match play.”
Melissa Reid is also a fan of TopGolf:
“It’s a fantastic concept
– it’s like a driving range
with targets and you
get certain points for
hitting each target. But
there’s also a restaurant
in there and you can have
a beer and that to me is
an amazing concept for
golf. You can go with your
mates for an hour on a
Saturday afternoon or
a Wednesday evening.”
33
Technology and Golf
It’s almost hard to believe that the words “social
media” were used only once in ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’.
That was four years ago but in terms of the way we
communicate it feels like a lifetime.
Just think of the recent response to the
controversy surrounding the USGA ruling
on Dustin Johnson at the US Open – it
was all played out on Twitter with Jordan
Spieth, Rory McIlroy and others making
their opinions felt loud and clear. Millions
of fans were reading this in real-time
or tuning in to news channels reporting
on player reaction as part of its live
coverage. A couple of months earlier
Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and
Smylie Kaufman effectively took fans on
holiday with them as they shared regular
updates from their Bahamas spring break
via Snapchat. Golf Digest reporter Mike
Stachura described it as
“Entourage crossed with
Shell’s Wonderful World
of Golf.”
Even moments of pure golfing history
are given a new dimension through the
lens of social media – think PJ Willett’s
endearing narrative on his brother
Danny’s historic Masters’ win in April
34
or Graeme McDowell’s emotionally
charged Periscope broadcast of Tom
Watson’s final putt at The Open in near
darkness at St Andrews last summer.
In 2016 social media gives “the golfer”
a direct line to an audience of millions.
And in 2016 “the golfer” is a very
different proposition to the traditional
stereotype of years gone by. From Rickie
Fowler’s high-tops to Lexi Thompson’s
fashion shoots and Rory McIlroy’s gym
work-outs, there’s as much action going
on off the course as there is on it. Padraig
Harrington captures it well: “I’ve been on
tour for more than 20 years. We had the
Tiger years and now we have this new
generation of exciting young players who
were influenced by Tiger. It’s their time
now and it’s definitely helping to attract
new audiences to the sport – at times you
feel like you’re on tour with rock stars not
golfers! Twitter particularly has done a lot
to change perceptions around golf as fans
get to see another side of us and what
we’re up to off the golf course.”
Just look at the numbers. Rory McIlroy
currently has a following of 2.93m on
Twitter and 1m on Instagram; Jordan
Spieth has 1.53m on Twitter and 959,000
on Instagram whilst Rickie Fowler has
1.2m Twitter followers and 912,000 on
Instagram. And then there’s Facebook
and Snapchat. In just four years social
media has become a fundamental
cornerstone of the world of golf.
Keith Pelley is clear how important
this is: “Guys like Rory and Rickie are
tremendous for the game of golf. These
are the guys that the young kids look up
to and aspire to be like in every way –
from the way they play, the way they
conduct themselves on the golf course
and in their modern and trendy fashion
sense – all of these things are an
important part of that attraction.”
Alex Trickett is Head of Sport at Twitter
UK. He said: “Social media totally unlocks
the personality of golfers in a really
positive way. Twitter has changed almost
beyond recognition in the last four years –
if you think about how people use the 140
characters compared to four years, it has
been completely transformed. Back then
you expected text, possibly a photo, but
now it is a much richer proposition which
comes to life in real-time with video,
GIFs, lots of photos and polls to gauge
the mood of fans, players and rivals. It’s
fair to say that the public now associates
much more readily with golfers because
what they do resonates well on Twitter –
ultimately, people follow people. If golfers
can share more in their own words and
their own pictures and transport fans to
their world in real-time through Twitter,
Vine or Periscope that is hugely engaging
as a fan.
35
25 age range in future and to do that we
have to find ways to attract young people
to attend and technology will be key
to this.”
In the women’s game, social media has
been a huge success, as Mike Whan
explains: “When the LPGA began putting
players’ twitter handles on the caddie
bibs (three years ago), many felt we had
lost our minds. Why would you encourage
fans to leave the telecast and/or follow
players versus ‘The Tour’? At the LPGA,
we know that if fans follow our players,
then they will follow the Tour. Our players
are more interesting, more compelling,
and more engaging than a ‘tour’. We
encourage our fans getting to know our
athletes, and social media is a fantastic
venue to do just that.”
“Rory McIlroy is a huge icon for a
generation in terms of a young kid made
good who has taken on the world with
a swagger and won. He was a very early
adopter of Periscope and it brings you
into his world – think of the Ryder Cup
moment where the champagne cork
popped early, that was captured in a Vine
and really took you there. But it’s not just
about unlocking the new, it’s also about
celebrating the tradition and history of
golf, for example, when G-Mac captured
Tom Watson’s final hole at The Open –
it became an ‘I was there’ moment for
thousands of us because he broadcast
it live via Periscope.”
When a sport is lucky enough to have a
dazzling array of superstars battling it out
on a regular basis, it’s an appointment
36
to view that fans don’t want to miss as
Dawson explains: “In the men’s game
the rivalry between Jason Day, Jordan
Spieth and Rory McIlroy is particularly
exciting especially as they hail from very
different parts of the world bringing
wider fan interest as a result. All this has
to have a positive effect on a younger
audience for golf and is coming at a time
of unprecedented technological advances
in the way our fans can watch and access
golf. More young people have more ways
than ever before to connect with
our game.”
Martin Slumbers agrees: “I am in favour
of constantly changing to seek to improve.
I want to see a much higher proportion of
the spectators at The Open in the under
Melissa Reid believes social media is
an “absolutely huge key thing in golf”
but thinks it has to be more than just
entertainment: “Social media can be
really effective as a learning tool for young
people and it’s not just in sport either.
A couple of my friends are university
lecturers and they put a couple of things
on about lectures and the responses
they get from not just students but other
lecturers as well like ‘maybe when you
do this you should try this’ and they
have no idea who these people are but
they are constantly helping each other
and learning. With golf you can just look
at people’s swings or you can look at
something that David Leadbetter puts
up, it’s a great way to learn.”
Mikko Manerus, Co-Founder and CEO
of Golf GameBook, a digital scorecard
positioned as a “clubhouse in your
pocket”, has this to say:
“Social media is changing
the way we enjoy golf
and technology generally
is opening up a new and
younger audience for the
sport. Golf has to adapt to
the world, in order for the
game to keep attracting
millennials to join the
sport, which is key with
regards to the growth
of the game and the
business around golf”
Golf’s governing bodies have also
invested heavily in social media. The
European Tour is celebrated for the
creativity of its content and has built up a
strong following across all social channels
by giving fans the inside track on some
of the world’s biggest tournaments. Keith
Pelley explains: “At the European Tour,
innovation is very much a central part of
our thinking because we are a content and
entertainment business with golf as our
platform. Because of that, we are working
hard to understand more about our fans,
which will allow us to develop and enrich
all of our platforms with the right content
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and the right services – a true ‘fan first’
offering that will hopefully encourage
all sorts of people to spend more time
with us. It is interesting even now, how
the migration from linear to digital is
becoming commonplace. We are proud
that almost three quarters of a million
people currently follow the European Tour
on social media and that number is rising
all the time. In fact, we have seen a 34
per cent increase in the first half of 2016
alone. The fact that, of that number, over
half are aged 35 or under, is telling.”
It’s also something which is high on
the PGA Tour agenda. Tim Finchem
commented: “We continue to explore
and develop new and different ways for
fans to follow the competition, no matter
where they might be, and to get to know
our members on a more personal level.
Two of our more recent initiatives that
reflect these efforts are PGA TOUR LIVE
and SkratchTV, both of which launched
last year.”
In the introduction to the broadcast
section of ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’, we
highlighted two large developments
in the television sector: the growth of
more channels and the rise of pay-TV.
At the halfway point between our original
research and our 2020 destination, it is
clear that the landscape has changed
significantly.
In a new piece of research conducted for
HSBC’s recent Future of Rugby report, The
Futures Company concluded that by 2026
sports content will mostly be hosted on
and consumed through social platforms,
whose owners will represent important
opportunities for partnerships, revenues
and brand development. Websites will
38
be largely redundant, except as reference
sources. For younger audiences, live
content will also increasingly be watched
via devices rather than on television.
The aim of sports broadcasters is always
to get the fan closer to the action;
increasingly, this is true whether
they’re at home or on the golf course.
The R&A’s Martin Slumbers is
enthusiastic about some of the new
technology being deployed at Royal Troon:
“We will see many new innovations for
the viewer with the first wire camera
to be used at The Open being deployed
at the Postage Stamp as well as use of
new technology at the practice ground
to enhance the spectators’ viewing. Our
shared aim is to bring the event to life on
the screen, showcase all the players and
give the viewer a world class experience
of links golf, and through our on course
WiFi and Open App we will be able to let
spectators on the course enjoy the same
on their smartphones or tablets.”
As a recent SportsPro report on broadcast
technology puts it:
“Broadcasters are
increasingly focussing
their concerns on the
variety of shots or
imagery they can provide
to immerse the viewer in
the experience.”
One element of improved viewer
experience has been miniaturisation.
Cameras such as GoPro are now small
enough and light enough to be worn on
clothing, and robust enough to survive
contact. If the difference between
professional and amateur sport is speed,
power and precision, miniaturisation gives
viewers a better idea of what it feels
like to be right at the heart of the action.
Another element has been the use of
technology to create new perspectives.
Rallying is experimenting with using
drones to follow cars from above,
supplementing the overhead helicopter,
while stadia-based sports have adopted
the spidercam—controversially in the case
of cricket, where it has interfered with play
in more than one international match.
Similarly, 360-degree coverage,
combining multiple camera angles and
intensive processing power, can let the
fan shift their perspective on the action
by tilting or turning their device.
Increasingly, sports coverage is being
redesigned to maximise that visual
experience. A third area of innovation is
the collection, synthesis and visualisation
of game data, often in real time, allowing
broadcasters to show heat maps of
player or team performance. A whole
host of tech companies that started with
professional sports coaches as their
target customers – companies such as
ProZone, StartDNA, Opta, Hawk-Eye
(known for its imaging technology, used
in tennis and cricket), and Trackchamp –
are now delivering this same data to fans
as well. In this they are following a longterm trend that sees professional tools
and expertise migrate to the informed
consumer. Samsung has released a smart
TV app, Sports Live, that allows the fan to
personalise the data streams coming from
a sports match, while a US technology,
SportsVU, allows fans watching live on
court to call up basketball stats to their
39
way on to the podium at Le Mans. With
improvements in motion control, as well
as the burgeoning VR market, there’s
potential for video games to have real
practical use in the world of golf as well –
from providing an effective training tool to
helping coaches identify future talent.”
We provide our users even more data
in a clear visualised format meaning that
they can use the knowledge on the golf
course conveniently. In addition, the GPS
feature allows golfers to measure exact
distances to carry hazards or distances
to different parts of the green.”
Andrew Curry observes:
smartphones. Down the line, for the
hardcore fan, much deeper immersion
is waiting. Virtual reality and 360-degree
cameras will let the fan see the action as
if from the middle of the fairway, while
wearable ‘haptic’ technology capable of
delivering real-time ‘tactile feedback’ will
let them feel the impact of a powerful
drive or the delicacy of a beautifullyweighted chip.
Andrew Curry from The Futures Company
highlighted the importance of the Olympic
Effect: “The Olympics always brings
one valuable asset to any sport: freeto-air broadcasting coverage, and this
is especially valuable for sports such as
golf where the television coverage has
increasingly retreated to pay-TV, where
it tends to find its traditional older male
audience. There’s likely to be a boost,
therefore, both in countries where
golf is less widely played, and perhaps
40
among people who don’t traditionally
think of golf as being a game for them.
But the biggest effect is likely to be on
the women’s game, which gets little
mainstream television coverage, even on
pay-TV channels, but will, as ever with the
Olympics, be treated as an event on an
equal footing with the men’s game.”
The world of gaming has also moved
on significantly since our report four
years ago. Martin Robinson, Features and
Reviews Editor at Eurogamer, explained:
“We’ve seen in recent years an amazing
convergence between the real and virtual
worlds in racing. High-tech simulators
have played a part in the set-up of many
top teams for years, but now that’s
having ramifications for everyday players.
Nissan’s GT Academy programme has
used video games to find promising
drivers who’ve gone on to some success,
with two of them already finding their
“A number of the trends
we identified in 2012
seem to have accelerated.
I’d note the trend about
wearable technology to
help players – not just
professionals – see the
data on their game and
analyse aspects such as
their swing.”
In ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’ we predicted an
important role for the app as a caddy.
Mikko Manerus believes we’re there
already: “Golf has digitalised significantly
in the last four years and the game
is constantly moving forward. Large
tournaments now have their own app,
golfers use technology more than ever
and apps and wearable technology
produce infinite amounts of data.
Equipment is even more customized
and the angles and speeds from golfers’
swings are used to a greater extent in
purchasing new equipment and analysing
shots during and after the round.
41
Tourism and
Environment
In ‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’ we reported that the golf tourism
market had bounced back from the recession and
golf continued to form an important part of tourism
development strategies, especially in emerging markets.
Four years on, Spencer Robinson
highlights one notable success story
in Asia, saying:
“Golf tourism has also
been on the rise in
Indonesia. Thanks to a
more supportive stance
from the government,
the region of Bogor has
joined Bali and Bintan
as a desirable golfing
getaway with a selection
of splendid courses, cool
climate, outstanding
caddies and excellent
value for money.”
42
Robinson also suggested that both
Vietnam and Malaysia are likely to host
a growing number of events in the region.
The International Association of Golf Tour
Operators (IAGTO) controls almost 90 per
cent of international golf holiday packages
sold worldwide. Since we published
‘Golf’s 2020 Vision’, the organisation has
reported four years of consecutive growth
with more of the same expected in 2016.
In 2015 they carried 1.9 million golfers
with a turnover of more than €2.1 billion.
Forward bookings for 2016 were 12 per
cent up year on year.
As part of its year-long golf tourism
survey, the IAGTO claimed that the multibillion dollar golf tourism industry in the
US has the potential for as much as a 20
per cent increase in 2016 and beyond.
And in Europe Golf Monthly recently
highlighted Italy as the latest “go to”
destination with Andrew Smith, director
of product at Your Golf Travel, saying:
“With demand for golf travel in Western
Europe at an all-time high and now
a dedicated consumer facing campaign
to promote golf in Italy, I’ve never been
more convinced that Italy can now begin
to compete with other more established
European golf destinations.”
In terms of the environment, the report
four years ago stated that “by 2020 it
seems likely that most new courses
will start by designing out unnecessary
impacts and designing in sustainable
management”. We interviewed Jonathan
Smith, Chief Executive of the Golf
Environment Organization (GEO), for the
original report and caught up with him
again recently. Here’s his assessment:
“As a direct result of increased
investment in custom-built sustainability
solutions for the sport, combined with
greater advocacy and leadership, the last
four years has seen the movement in
sustainable golf accelerate considerably.
This is in line with rapid evolution across
business, government and society. We’ve
seen a number of changes, motivated by
both external pressures and a recognition
of opportunity within the industry.”
Smith pinpointed the following trends:
• Increasing regulatory pressure in both
mature and emerging golf markets,
especially around water, pesticide and
fertilizer use, but also fiscal policies
linked to stewardship of land and
natural resources
43
GreenDrive, which saw the 2014 Ryder
Cup send zero waste to landfill, has
been rolled out across several of its
high profile annual tournaments and
The Open’s GreenLinks programme for
sustainable development, launched in
2015 is continuing to grow in 2016
• An industry climate mitigation scheme
has been developed in partnership
with The Gold Standard
“Image will change, golf will have more
influence, will be more supported and
less unfairly regulated, and people will
know this long-standing sport is delivering
considerable value and is evolving in line
with the rest of society. It’s vital that golf
is seen to proactively take a lead on these
global, long term issues that are rapidly
emerging as a new imperative alongside
others such as participation, popularity,
integrity and financing.”
• National activation in the Netherlands
has led to a model of co-regulation
between golf bodies and government
• More and more sports sponsorship
being linked with ‘green’ initiatives
(corporations connecting sponsorship
and marketing with corporate
responsibility and sustainability goals)
sport’s success and potential – in many
ways, directly and indirectly. It will require
a considerable amount of collaborative
effort, credible evidence and careful
communications to turn around.”
• Existing facilities are evolving
(naturalizing and enriching courses;
reducing resource consumption
and costs; increasing outreach into
the community with golf and wider
engagement)
He went on to cite a number of examples
of industry progress:
• Greater collaboration between groups
within the golf industry, combined
with considerable external relations
is taking place
One significant threat he feels still exists,
is that of image. “Golf still seems to
be undermined by a negative and very
often unfair perception when it comes
to environmental and wider community
value. This is something that inhibits the
44
• Last year saw GEO Certified®
become the first, and only, sporting
sustainability standard and certification
system to be accepted as a full
member of the ISEAL Alliance and
there has been a continued increase
in the number of GEO Certified®
facilities
• Golf now has a new sustainability
standard for new golf developments
• Around a dozen other leading golfing
nations globally are connecting in
their new approaches to sustainability
– joining up local, national and
international commitments and results
• There is evidence of even further
integration of sustainability in golf
design and development – led by the
advocacy and education of the main
golf architect associations and leading
design practices. This is also true of
many renovations
And finally, Smith summarised the future
outlook: “Across the industry, people
in clubs, developments, tournaments
and associations are finding new ways
to make sustainability a real, practical
action – that benefits their business. Think
what can be achieved if this commitment,
action and results are brought together
under the banner of sustainability in and
through golf.
• High profile tournaments are adopting
and growing their sustainability
programmes; European Tour’s
45
Current State of Play:
6 Hole Summary
• Olympic status can
change the game
despite concerns
• Social media has
been transformational
for golf
• Asian golf is on the
charge but barriers
remain
• We need new
formats now
• More immersive
viewing experiences
are taking us closer
to the action
46
Acknowledgements
This report was written by Hill+Knowlton
Strategies for HSBC. Our thanks go to all
interviewees for being so generous with
their time; to IMG for its help in arranging
interviews and Mindshare and Repucom
for sharing research.
The photographs in this report are
courtesy of Getty Images.
• Sustainability is
a challenge and
an opportunity
47
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Issued by HSBC Holdings plc.