Golf has undergone seismic changes over the past 18 months. The emergence of LIV Golf has shaken the foundations of the sport and caused the game’s traditional powerbrokers to dig deep to ensure the PGA Tour remains the pre-eminent force in golf.
Money has clearly been a driving factor behind many of the changes that have taken place. But another huge influence behind the upheaval has been what feels like an age-old question for golf: how does the sport appeal to a younger audience and engage fans?
There never seems to be a shortage of young golfing talent coming through the pipeline with hopes of eventually graduating to the PGA Tour. However, persuading and encouraging new audiences to watch the sport and engage with golf in a variety of ways remains a constant challenge.
The appeal of online and video games
One means of trying to connect with a potential new golf fanbase has been through gambling and promotional opportunities, whether that is via your traditional betting markets or the creation of online casino games. Online slot games such as The Argyle Open and Lucky Shot provide a means for people to engage with golf. Online gambling platforms use marketing tools such as promotions like free spins in a bid to attract new customers and golf fans are more likely to play golf-related titles if they also pick up an offer along the way. While there are several golf-themed casino games currently on the market, a constant evolution of the titles and their design is essential in maintaining the interest and engagement of fans.
The slow-paced nature of golf is often pointed toward as a reason for the sport’s troubles in attracting and subsequently retaining, a new breed of fans. But where this does hold benefit is in betting in-play during tournaments. Prior to a tournament starting, there is always a huge array of betting markets to assess, including outright, top-20 finish, player to make the cut, etc., but betting in-running shows how the engagement of an audience across a four-day 72-hole tournament can be maintained. Bettors have the opportunity to place a wager after every good or bad shot or trade their position on a market, throughout the tournament.
Video games, and their format, are another means of how golf is trying to appeal to a new prospective audience. Golf video games have come a long way since the first installment of PGA Tour Golf in 1990 and there is a sense they are enjoying a revival in the past few years. When Tiger Woods’ long-standing partnership with EA Sports came to an end in the early 2010s, and the subsequent Rory McIlroy-named version failed to make a splash, it appeared the future of golf video games was bleak.
But the PGA Tour 2K franchise, which includes a partnership with Woods, has breathed fresh life into the genre and has even persuaded gaming giant EA Sports to jump back into the sport after it released its first golf video game since 2015 earlier this year. There is a certain cross-over between the two games, particularly in relation to some of the courses you can play but they also have features that are successful in other 2K and EA Sports video games. The ability to play in career mode to work your way up through the ranks or the chance to create your own golfer provides an immersive experience that maintains fan engagement.
Monday night golf
Bringing the sport of golf off the course is something that the game’s leading figures are increasingly understanding as being vital to attracting new fans. The Woods and McIlroy-backed venture, TGL, is going to be a fascinating experiment to watch in terms of its ability to attract and engage a new audience.
Scheduled to start in early 2024, the league has been created in partnership with the PGA Tour and is billed as ‘offering a fresh approach to the sport with a focus on technology, innovation, and fan engagement’.
With a primetime slot booked for Monday nights, it is going to be intriguing to see how the two-hour team golf competition will hook in the audience. What may work in its favor is that US audiences are at least accustomed to primetime TV sports on a Monday night through the NFL.
A purpose-built venue in Palm Beach will hold 2,000 fans but the prospects for the long-term success of the venture will hinge on how well the virtual course translates as a viewing experience for those at home. There is a clear intention, as well, to appeal to those who spend time scrolling through their social media feeds due to plans to roll out highlights and snippets of those ‘wow’ moments.
It will also be an opportunity for golf to create greater personalities out of the sport’s leading players. Injecting an element of fun into the spirit of competition will also help the sport and the players to form closer connections to the fans at home.
All the ingredients seem to be there for the TGL to be a hit. Many of the PGA Tour’s leading players have signed up, those teams that have already signed up and represent cities across the States have high-profile sports and celebrity backers, and the format should retain attention. With each night being a two-hour hit, and with the prospect of a final at the end of the competition, there is something for new fans to engage with and a team to root for, too.
Golf’s quest to be a team sport
The team element itself is one way in which LIV Golf has tried to appeal to a new audience. As an essentially individual sport, it has always been hard for golf to position itself as a sport that can give fans a team cause to get behind. Aside from the biannual Ryder Cup, for all its fervor, passion, and at times, hostility, team golf has never truly taken off.
The jury is probably still out as to how successful the team format has been with LIV Golf, and the enterprise in general, but it is undeniable that it has attempted to shake things up and make the ‘product’ of golf more attractive to a younger audience. From using shotgun starts and relaxing the dress code, LIV Golf has tried to tap into a new fanbase.
The PGA Tour has certainly taken huge financial steps to address the dual challenge posed by LIV Golf and the quest to bring on board the younger generation. The player impact program rewards players for how well they generate coverage for the Tour and engaging with new and younger fans is a key element behind this.
And, again, while money may well be an influencing factor, the PGA Tour’s determination to have the top players competing more regularly makes huge sense. Old and new golf fans want to see the best players out on the course as much as possible. Just like new fans attracted to the MLS following Inter Miami’s signing of Lionel Messi would not be happy if he only plays occasionally, new golf fans will not stay loyal to the sport if the likes of McIlroy or Jon Rahm turn up once every three weeks.
The turmoil in the world of golf of late may certainly have distressed traditionalists, but the sport has arguably never been in a stronger position to attract and engage a new audience on and off the course.
