Few honors in golf carry the significance of the Payne Stewart Award, presented annually to an individual whose values reflect the character, sportsmanship, and charitable spirit embodied by the late Payne Stewart. In selecting Notah Begay III as its 2026 recipient, the PGA TOUR recognized more than an accomplished professional golfer and television analyst. It honored a leader whose career has been defined by expanding access to golf, creating opportunities for underserved youth, and demonstrating that the game’s greatest legacy is measured not only in championships but also in service.
For more than two decades, Begay has championed Native American communities through the NB3 Foundation, which addresses childhood obesity, health disparities, education, and youth development while introducing thousands of young people to golf. His life’s work reflects a philosophy that has become increasingly important as the sport enters one of the most transformative periods in its history: golf becomes stronger when more people see themselves in it.
Begay’s recognition arrives at a fascinating—and, in some ways, complicated—moment for golf.
Participation has never been higher. New players continue to discover the game in record numbers. Women are playing at historic rates. Junior golf is thriving. More people of color are teeing it up than at any point in American golf history. Technology has made instruction more accessible, off-course entertainment venues have introduced millions to golf, and social media has transformed how the game is learned and shared.
Yet alongside this unprecedented growth has emerged an increasingly vocal online movement known as “Shrink the Game.”
Its slogan has become one of the most polarizing phrases in modern golf.
Supporters argue they simply want golf to return to a more traditional experience. Critics believe the movement risks sending an entirely different message—one that could discourage the very golfers who represent the sport’s future.
The debate extends far beyond crowded tee sheets or slow rounds.
It touches on larger questions about identity, culture, economics, inclusion, and the future of one of America’s oldest sports.
A Game Experiencing Historic Growth
Only a decade ago, golf insiders worried about declining participation, aging demographics, and questions about whether younger generations would embrace the game.
Those concerns have largely disappeared.
According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF), nearly 48 million Americans participated in some form of golf activity during 2025. That includes traditional golf courses, driving ranges, golf entertainment venues such as Topgolf, simulator facilities, and other off-course experiences.
The numbers become even more impressive when viewed through a broader lens.
The NGF estimates that approximately 136 million Americans now engage with golf through playing, watching televised tournaments, consuming digital content, following professional tours, or participating in golf-related entertainment. Never before has the sport enjoyed such widespread cultural visibility.
Equally significant is who those participants are.
Golf’s newest players increasingly reflect the diversity of modern America.
Approximately 7.7 million Black, Hispanic, and Asian golfers played on traditional golf courses during 2025—the highest total ever recorded. Together, people of color now represent approximately 26 percent of all on-course golfers, while nearly half of Americans expressing interest in learning golf are non-White.
Women have also reached record participation levels.
Junior golf continues to expand.
Families are entering the game together.
First-time golfers are discovering the sport through Topgolf facilities, simulator leagues, municipal courses, and beginner-friendly instruction rather than traditional country clubs.
The image of golf is changing.
For much of the twentieth century, golf was often viewed as a sport dominated by affluent, older White men. While that demographic remains an important part of golf’s foundation, today’s fairways increasingly reflect a broader cross-section of America.
Golf has become younger.
More multicultural.
More family-oriented.
More social.
More connected to popular culture than ever before.
That transformation has created enormous opportunities for the golf industry.
It has also generated growing tensions.
The Rise of “Shrink the Game”
The phrase first gained traction during the pandemic golf boom.
As millions of Americans sought outdoor recreation, golf courses experienced unprecedented demand. Tee sheets filled weeks in advance. Five-hour rounds became increasingly common. Waiting lists grew longer. Public facilities struggled to accommodate record participation.
Many longtime golfers became frustrated.
Their complaints were understandable.
Rounds stretched toward six hours.
Ball marks went unrepaired.
Bunkers remained unraked.
Groups often lacked basic understanding of golf etiquette.
Securing desirable tee times became increasingly difficult.
Social media amplified those frustrations.
Posts calling to “Shrink the Game” quickly spread across Instagram, X, Reddit, YouTube, and golf podcasts.
For many supporters, the slogan was never about excluding newcomers.
Instead, they argued for restoring pace of play, encouraging proper etiquette, protecting course conditions, and preserving traditions they believed made golf unique.
Those concerns deserve serious consideration.
Golf has always depended upon a shared respect for fellow players.
Repairing divots.
Replacing ball marks.
Allowing faster groups to play through.
Keeping pace.
Showing courtesy during another player’s swing.
Respecting the golf course itself.
These traditions exist not because golf resists change but because they make the experience better for everyone.
Most golfers—regardless of age, race, or experience—would agree.
The controversy begins when criticism shifts away from behavior and toward people.
Increasingly, conversations online have focused less on slow play and more on identifying who supposedly represents the problem.
Terms such as “Bro Golf,” “TikTok Golf,” and “party golfers” have entered golf’s vocabulary.
Sometimes they describe behavior.
Other times they describe an entire generation.
More Than Etiquette
The stereotype of the modern “Bro Golfer” has become instantly recognizable across social media.
He arrives with Bluetooth speakers.
Films every swing for Instagram.
Wears joggers or athletic shoes instead of traditional golf attire.
Travels in groups.
Celebrates birdies loudly.
Views golf as recreation every bit as much as competition.
Often, the criticism centers on etiquette.
Sometimes it goes much further.
Many younger golfers reject the notion that golf must always be quiet, formal, or rooted in country club traditions.
Instead, they embrace golf as entertainment.
Music accompanies the round.
Friends gather afterward for food and drinks.
Videos document both great shots and embarrassing mistakes.
The emphasis shifts from perfection to participation.
Importantly, the “Bro Golfer” stereotype is not racial.
Many of golf’s best-known influencers fitting this description are White.
Others are Black.
Some are Hispanic or Asian.
The phenomenon reflects generational change far more than ethnicity.
Nevertheless, perception matters.
Because hip-hop culture, athletic apparel, sneakers, and social media increasingly overlap with younger Black golf culture, some African American golfers view criticism of “Bro Golf” through a different historical lens.
For families whose parents or grandparents were once denied access to golf courses altogether, discussions about who belongs—or does not belong—can feel uncomfortably familiar.
There is little evidence that the “Shrink the Game” movement is inherently racist. The motivations expressed by its supporters are varied and often focus on pace of play, etiquette, and course access rather than race. At the same time, perceptions among historically excluded communities deserve attention because the language used in public conversations can influence whether newcomers feel welcomed or merely tolerated.
That distinction may prove critical as golf continues its remarkable evolution.
Part Two will examine why this conversation resonates so deeply within the Black golf community by exploring golf’s long history of segregation, the pioneers who changed the game forever, and why today’s debates cannot be separated from yesterday’s barriers.
