'Golf's Rise In Popularity Since Covid Has Been More A Curse Than A Blessing'

Initially, I was a supporter of golf's increase of popularity, at both amateur and professional level, due to the the Covid pandemic.

Certainly, golf is going through a golden period right now. More and more individuals are taking up the game, with the aim of getting better and meeting new people firmly on the minds of many.

But, having played the game for over 20 years, I've never seen courses so busy, which is perhaps why a return to pre-Covid circumstances wouldn't be the worst thing...

In all honesty, I'm expecting negative responses to this thought and article. "It's such an old-school mentality. You're just moaning for the sake of it," some will probably bellow at me through their screens.

Hear me out, though...

Yes, numbers being so high is (theoretically) great for our game, even though, as a result, the cost of membership and green fees have risen to astronomical levels as golf clubs look to cash in before the busy bubble bursts.

Speaking of clubs, can they really sustain these high numbers of new members and is it really viable for green fees to be so high in the long term?

Getting a good tee time now, on the weekend especially, is nigh on impossible. Even on a Thursday or Friday, when my days off occur, it can be a struggle to find a slot at a reasonable time of day.

What's more, the number of new golfers – and indeed old – who don't know about basic etiquette is alarming.

Unrepaired pitch marks, bunkers not raked and divots not being filled in have been a regular occurrence and sticking point at clubs for decades. Since Covid, the problem has only got worse.

When I'm on the course, I find it crazy and sad how many pitch marks aren't fixed. During my recent Stableford competition round, I was repairing nearly 10 on each green.

The frightening thing is the majority of those in front of me were members, not paying guests!

I don't want to say it... but I wish golf could return to how it was pre-pandemic.

Previously, I could stroll into a golf club and pay for a green fee, bottle of water and a ball marker using just a £50 note. Now, I'm having to bring two of the things just to pay for my round!

Cost of living is a thing, and I get that everything is going up, but how is it that very average courses are able to hike their green fees up by over 100% in just a few years?

It's not just the course; even the cost of facilities on-site have increased. At my club, around the time of Covid, a bucket of 100 range balls was £7, while 50 was £4. Move on six years, and that same bucket of balls is £14.50 for 100 and £9 for 50.

Where's the justification? It's not as if the money has been invested in improving the quality of the range balls or mats either, so where is the money going?

I say it again, and you might disagree, but I wish golf could return to the pre-pandemic days.

Pre-pandemic, we had a good mix of the more die-hard golfers, as well as less over-crowding on the course.

The old guard and traditionalists, who insisted that socks be pulled up to your knees and that you wear a suit and tie in the clubhouse, were disappearing.

However, it feels as if golf has gone too much the other way. The casual golfer is more prominent; the golfer who doesn't know anything about slow play or course maintenance.

You'd think as a golf writer I shouldn't complain about the courses being busy. It does wonders for our business as people view our content.

But clubs weren't ready for this seismic boom, and the way they are making the most out of it is by increasing fees and punishing the loyal, long-term members.

For me, golf's rise in popularity since Covid has been more of a curse than a blessing.