Increasing the popularity of golf
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These are challenging times for the sport we love. Participation is decreasing, TV ratings are dropping, sponsors are departing, and Rory McIlroy’s failure to win the 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, despite having one of the greatest years in golf history, illustrates sliding popularity and reduced engagement with the general public.
But what is the solution to this malaise? What does golf need to do in order to rediscover its popularity and increase its wider appeal? We posed these questions to Britain’s top sports promoter, Barry Hearn. Hearn’s previous successes include reviving the fortunes of boxing, darts and snooker. These are his suggestions for getting golf back on track.
Target the right people
“The sports business is all about selling your product to the correct audience. I’ve had success in the boxing, darts and snooker markets by going after ‘the working man’, but there is no point in golf going down this route, as the sport is too expensive for ordinary working boys and girls. Instead, golf needs to focus on attracting people from within its traditional fan base. Namely: men.”
To read the full article, see the April 2015 issue of Golf World!
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