Welcome to the Machine
David DeNunzio, Editor-In-ChiefFrom the Editor
IN JUNE, THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION, the Jupiter, Fla.-based nonprofit research group that
monitors the game’s growth and vitality, released some promising participation numbers. The one
that caught my eye was 2.6 million, which according to the NGF, represents the number of begin-
ners who played on a course for the first time in 2018, a historic high. Good news. Great news, actu-
ally. Digging a bit further, I found that 18 percent of these beginners were over the age of 50—not a
historic level, but the highest number in a decade. Props to Boomers and Gen Xers notwithstand-
ing, the long-term health of our sport depends on more youth. Unfortunately, junior participation
sagged in 2018 compared to the previous two years, and what the NGF considers to be the game-
growth gold mine—18- to 34-year-olds—was stagnant, at 25 percent of “traditional” golfers.
Growing the game by providing a variety of playing opportunities and breaking down traditional
barriers to entry for this set is a critical endeavor. Technology will help. Already, tech-driven outlets
such as Topgolf ranges and full-swing simulator stores have helped spike interest in the game,
albeit in a non-traditional fashion. Eleven million people hit balls at new-age facilities in 2018.
Eleven million! The secret to this success? It’s fun.
Technology is rapidly shedding its nerdy roots in the golf space. Innovation today means creating
a more enhanced user experience, often around the most meaningful appliance we own: our
smartphones. Launch monitor data? There’s an app for that. Same goes for one that can tell you the
exact break of any putt on just about any green in America. Or perhaps you’d like a digital caddie
that can tell you which club to pull on the tee box or fairway based on past results and current
atmospheric conditions. Yep—already here. Best yet, all of this information is delivered in smart-
looking packages that Millennials organically consume in like-minded applications, around the
clock, in their everyday lives. Tech just may be our best bet for making the game younger.
Of course, there’s more to the growth and tech story than on-course and on-range wizardry.
Golf-specific R&D is delivering tools and gadgets that make it easier to learn how to swing,
sharpen focus and improve health and on-course performance, and help courses spend less
on maintenance (and hopefully pass the savings on to you.) On p. 65 we introduce you to eight
important ways technology is changing the game for good. It’s unbelievable stuff, and it’s just the
tip of the iceberg. Rise of the golf machines? Absolutely. Hopefully the game can rise with them.Ma
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