Golf's Newest Enemies...Women, Soccer and DOGS!

Dateline San Francisco-
A recent column in the San Francisco Comical (Chronicle) by Isabel Wade, Jill Lounsbury, and Sally Stephens sends a new message to the golf industry, “grow or die.”

In a recent review by the City revealed that the six municipal facilities in SF are seriously losing money. They ask, perhaps rightly that does the City really “need six underutilized golf courses?” Their answer is a definite NO.

Thankfully, the venerable ol’ course The Presidio is making a profit, but others like the wonderful track Lincoln Park is not. Harding Park of course with their recent renovation continues to drive traffic, but the others, like Sharp Park and others are barely at 40% full. My guess is that it is even lower than that.

Here is the logic of their attack. Diversity! Yep, that’s the ticket. Since only 15% of golfers are minorities, and only 23% are women, and these numbers don’t reflect the “diversity” of SF, then these courses should be used in another manner. They site that Sharp Park is a site to both threatened and endangered species! OH MY, stop the greenskeeper! And since there are 378 soccer teams and only 24 soccer fields, well they can’t practice! Now, let me say for the record, I don’t consider soccer a sport, but rather an exercise, since there is no specialized talent involved that I can see, but that is another argument for another day.

These gals suggest that Lincoln Park should be converted into a nine hole facility and turn the rest into soccer fields, dog runs and hiking trails…ouch! And take away the back nine and it’s fabulous views, yes for the dogs…makes sense to ME!

So, if you don’t believe that our dear sport is under attack, just go about your business, but if you are like me, I am always concerned when people like this head up organizations with names like these:
Sally heads up the Coalition for Equitable Use of Open Space.
Isabel heads up the Neighborhood Parks Council, and Jill is the GM of the San Francisco Nighthawks, a SF soccer league, oh, pardon me, the PREMIER soccer league.

My best answer to growing the game, is every avid golfer should take it upon themselves to teach at least two youngsters the game, be it their own kids or grandkids, or find some from the neighborhood, or you just might find your favorite local course teaming with dawgs.