Hack Golf initiative launched to help grow golf

The global golfing community is being asked to submit its ideas to revitalise golf following the launch of 'Hack Golf - a new initiative looking at the state of the game

Ryder Cup

Hack Golf initiative launched to help grow golf

The global golfing community is being asked to submit its ideas to revitalise golf following the launch of Hack Golf, a new initiative looking at the state of the game.

Formed by a group of industry leaders - including Mark King, CEO of TaylorMade Golf and Ted Bishop, President of the PGA of America - the campaign aims to arrest the current slide in golfer participation, examine its current flaws and attract new people into the sport.

Despite millions of dollars of investment in new schemes, such as 'Tee it Forward' and 'Get Golf Ready', participation in the sport - at every level - continues to decline.

In the United States, nearly five million golfers have left the game since 2004, with core golfers down almost 24% in the same period.

"This is an industry-wide experiment," said Bishop. "We don't have the

answer, but by tapping the collective creativity of the millions of

golfers who love this game as much as we do, we will find the solution."

TaylorMade adidas Golf has pledged to fund one or more 'crowd sourced' ideas, as well as inaugurate a series of tournaments in the USA that will utilise a 15-inch cup.

Over the coming months, golfers will be asked to submit ideas and be given tools to help breed creativity, with the golfing community, golf industry experts, creative thinkers and others used to identify some of the most promising submissions.

Most significantly, as they take shape, Hack Golf will work with the golf industry to fund and prototype prospective game-changing ideas.

If you're passionate about golf, visit www.hackgolf.org to share your ideas on the game, participate in this pioneering initiative and help make golf more appealing to every sector of society.

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x