As an admitted outsider to the golfing community working for a golf company, I find myself fascinated by some of the more existential questions like “can I call myself a golfer”? At what point am I a golfer? Is it based on my handicap? My ability to crush a ball a respectable distance off the tee? How many times can I play a month?
All of these are exclusive metrics in their own way, which conflicts with one of V1 Sports’ core missions of making golf and golf improvement more inclusive.
My background is in a much different sport than golf, but one that faced a similar conflict around the birth of CrossFit. I rowed competitively and collegiately, and prior to 2010-ish the definition of a rower was pretty simple; someone who rowed, in a boat, on the water. Then, thanks to CrossFit and following programs like Orangetheory, using the indoor ergometer became a fitness tool for an average person rather than just a thing for a rower to use when they couldn’t be on the water.
Is someone who rows only indoors on the erg, a rower? Does it matter?
One of the trends we track closely at V1 Sports is the rising popularity of Off Course golf. This category describes golf played at indoor simulators, driving ranges, TopGolf, and other golf entertainment venues. In 2021, there was a historic boost in Off Course golf that for the first time caused that category to surpass On Course golf in participation.
Not only is Off Course golf important for driving more On Course golf, it also opens the door to many different types of people to be involved in the sport. Similar to rowing, where a large percentage of the US population doesn’t even have the opportunity to row on the water, these alternative venues are popping up in places where golf courses cannot, and they’re offering an experience that a golf course cannot.
But does going to a Topgolf make you a golfer?
I’d like you to pause here, and reflect on your own reaction to that question. Because, it does matter.
When CrossFit peaked in popularity along with the rise in social media platforms, within the rowing community it was fun to make fun of how poorly some of the people rowed. We scoffed at their awkward rhythm and technique, talked about how they’d never be able to row an actual boat, and lamented about the inevitability of injuries.
Upon reflection many years later, what I wish I had done was embrace this subculture. What CrossFit and fitness rowing did for the rowing community is incredible. It gave good athletes without access to rowing clubs a chance to walk-on to collegiate rowing teams (with scholarship in some instances) because of their erg performance. It opened a funnel of new interest in rowing on teams, on the water. And maybe most importantly, it took an obscure piece of gym equipment and made it significantly more popular, to the point where Peloton produced their own indoor rowing machine, placing it right next to the treadmill and bike as a fundamental machine to have in your home gym. The erg is no longer tucked away in the dusty corner, instead there are multiple lined up at the gym.
When more people play golf, in whatever form, it lifts the entire community. More interest in watching golf events trickles all the way down to boosting business for the gas station nearest to the parking lot at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. More interest in purchasing equipment increases the demand on manufacturers to continue innovating while also providing more and more entry and mid level options. If you scroll back to the graph from NGF, you’ll see On Course golf start to increase in participation again after a decade of down trend.
Rising tides lift all boats, more literally in rowing of course.
For us at V1 Sports, you are a golfer as soon as you put a club in your hands, at age 3 or 93. I hope every person who tries golf for the first time has a lifetime of enjoying the sport, in whatever form is accessible for them.
And when you’re ready to be a better golfer, we’re here to provide you with the most accessible improvement tools, video analysis, model swings, and top quality drills in the V1 GOLF app.
