PGTAA (Professional Golf Teachers Association of America)

24 hours ago

Good news for a change.

NGF reports an uptick in the number of golfers

An estimated 24.2 million golfers played at least one round in 2018, a slight increase from the 23.8 million who played in 2017, according to the National Golf Foundation, which released its annual report about the industry.

Nearly as many people, 23 million, participated in off-course forms of the game at golf-entertainment facilities such as Topgolf. Last year, 434 million rounds were played, which was a 4.8-percent decline from 2017. Those totals were among the highlights of the report, which culls data from across the golf industry.

There were 434 million rounds of golf played in 2018, a 4.8% year-over-year decline attributable in part to the third-wettest year on record nationally dating back to 1895 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association).

Despite the negative weather impact on the nation’s top outdoor, pay-to-play participation sport, there are 14.7 million people who didn’t play golf last year but say they are “very interested” in playing golf on a course. This untapped demand helped contribute to the 2.6 million beginners who picked up the game in 2018.

The total U.S. golf course supply declined by 1.2%, with the opening of 12.5 new 18-hole equivalent golf courses and 198.5-course closures. Closures have outweighed new openings nationwide since 2006, an ongoing correction of supply and demand within the market that followed an unsustainable 20-year building boom during which more than 4,000 courses opened, boosting the U.S. supply by 44%. The U.S. remains the best-supplied golf market in the world with 14,613 facilities and 16,693 courses – more than 75% of which are open to all players, the highest public-to-private ratio in history.

Other 2018 highlights from the Golf Industry Report:
• Golf’s total reach of about 107 million people in the U.S. is comprised of 33.5M total golf participants plus approximately 74M who watched and/or read about golf but didn’t play on or off course. This represents more than one-third of the U.S. population (age 6+) and is a 10% increase from 2017.

• Juniors (6-17) and young adults (18-34) comprise approximately 35% of all on-course golfers, with 2.5 million junior participants and 6.1 million young adults.

• There are 5.7 million women who played golf on a course in 2018. Women account for 23% of the on-course golfer base and 44% of off-course only play.
• Newcomers to golf are increasingly diverse: 31% are female, 26% are non-Caucasian and 62% are under the age of 35.
• The number of golfers age 65-and-over increased by almost 17% to 4.2 million in 2018. This number should continue to increase as the balance of Baby Boomers cross this milestone.
• There are more than 20 million committed golfers who account for approximately 95% of all rounds-played and spending.

• Golfers played an average of 17.9 rounds in 2018.
• The average price paid for an 18-hole round at public golf facilities is $35.

For further information and context on the 2019 Golf Industry Report, please visit The Q:

(www.thengfq.com/2019/04/ngf-releases-2019-golf-industry-report/).

NGF members can download a copy of the full report at the organization’s new website:

www.ngf.org/report/golf-industry-report/ ... See MoreSee Less

PGTAA (Professional Golf Teachers Association of America)

1 day ago

Wood's Mental Discipline Leads to Masters Win

Golf is a mental game, a mental battle.

Your thoughts can be bigger obstacles than the course itself.

So many thoughts can mentally interfere with your play, “I have never won a tournament,” “I can’t sink a putt today,” “I’m too far behind to make a run up the leader board,” “I might as well give up today,” “My game keeps getting worse, I should quit,”…

Thoughts flood your mind throughout a round of golf and there is nothing you can do to stop thinking. That’s right, negative thoughts will enter your head… It’s normal… It’s a part of golf… It’s a part of life.

In terms of thinking, there is a huge misconception... Positive thinking is the absence of negative thoughts. That is an impossible, unrealistic expectation.
When you double-bogey, your mind will not be only filled with warm, fuzzy, positive thoughts.

Golfers that have this unrealistic expectation in terms of positive thinking often feel they failed when negative thoughts enter their head.

Let’s re-conceptualize positive thinking… Positive thinking is really a matter of three things.

1. You have the capability to shape your thoughts… “I’m going to try my best this round.”

2. You can reframe your thoughts… “I may have double-bogeyed the 13th hole but the 14th is a new opportunity.”

3. You have the ability to choose the thoughts you focus on. “I hit my chip shot way too hard. My strategy for this shot is to hit it four inches to the right of the cup so the ball breaks to the hole.”

These three characteristics are the essence of your mindset.

The biggest success story in golf this year, and possibly ever, is Tiger Woods winning the 2019 Masters which has everything to do with his ability to direct his thinking.

The litany of potential negative thoughts that could have derailed Woods was lengthy:

* A Major tournament with the biggest viewing audience
* Being 43 years old and older than most of the field
* Past injuries (back, Achilles and knee)
* Well-chronicled past personal issues
* Eleven years since his last Major victory
* Being 2-strokes behind starting the final round
* His family watching in the gallery
* Back-to-back bogeys on holes No. 4 and No. 5 on the last round
* Another bogey on the 10th hole
* Being tied for the lead on the 12th hole for the first time
* 6-7 golfers being in contention after the 13th hole
* Taking the lead on the 15th hole
* The pressure of leading by 2-strokes on the final hole of round 4
* The potential of being one of the greatest career comeback stories in golf

How was Woods able to control his thoughts despite all these potential distractions?

Woods kept reminding himself to stay patient and "handle his own business" instead of worry about what other guys were doing:

WOODS: "I was very disciplined in what I was doing out there. Even when yesterday guys were shooting 64 left and right, I was just kind of going around, just handle your business, work your way up the board. We've still got a lot of golf, a lot of holes to play, and just make sure that I'm there in the end..."

"There [were] so many different things that can happen on the back nine on Sunday. We all know that, and it played itself out again. There were so many different scenarios that could have happened after 12. It could have gone so many different ways, and I just kept saying, just keep hanging in there until the last couple holes and we'll see where we are. Just keep hanging in there.”

Woods was focused on what to do and was able stick to his game plan, even though there were many potential thoughts that could have unglued his attention for the task at hand.

Being disciplined starts with being disciplined in your thoughts, focusing on thoughts that are productive and contribute to playing your best.

Being Disciplined in your Thinking:

Just like Woods, direct your attention to thoughts that help your performance by reminding yourself to take care of your game rather than worry about all the things that might happen.

One strategy for being disciplined in your thinking is to consciously cue yourself about what to do, “How are you going to hit the tee shot? What is your best strategy for the hole?”

Having an internal conversation with yourself keeps distracting thoughts at bay.

By PGTAA member Dr. Patrick Cohn ... See MoreSee Less