ARNOLD PALMER: STATE OF THE GAME

By mustang6560 on 12/17/12

Despite a litany of challenges, the future of golf, as seen through the eyes of one of the game's true greats, looks bright. Arnold Palmer wrote as much in a "State of the Game" letter published on GolfChannel.com.

As we look back on 2012 and into the future, however, I see an increasingly vibrant and healthy game emerging from those examinations. It doesn't take a scratch player to be moved by Bubba Watson's personal story, his daring style and gutsy Masters win. The rest of the major champion class of 2012 – Webb Simpson, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy – underscore the global reach of our game and the lasting appeal to both young and old.

At the amateur/club level the game is stabilizing as well. According to the National Golf Foundation's latest available figures, 25.7 million Americans played at least one round of golf in 2011. Of course, in these tough economic times players are leaving the game. For instance, we lost 1.5 million golfers from 2008 to 2009 and one million between 2009 and 2010, but that reduced exit rate is encouraging. The slowing outflow, followed by an influx, is precisely how the game has responded to previous recessions. One underlying sign of golf's strength: Even with the ebb in golfers, rounds played in 2012 are up 7.4 percent over 2011, the biggest one-year increase since the turn of the century.

What did you think of The King's "State of the Game" letter?


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Image via Flickr, Keith Allison