We might feel like we had enough of Millennial trends, but they affect our world in ways we did not see coming. Take golf for instance. Last year, independent.co.uk listed golf as one of the industries which are being killed by Millennials. According to them: “…golf has failed to capture their interest…” Why do Millennials and their new ways have an effect on this popular activity?
A much-loved (for my generation at least) sport, golf involves exercise, socialising, competition and even though it is often joked about, doing business. Do any of these not resonate with Millennial trends? They might if I can believe online literature and observations of my son and his friends… Or perhaps I have just been influenced by the gorgeous green golf courses of Ireland where I was fortunate enough to play this week. I am sure no one can blame me if I don’t opt for a Millennial-trendy boutique gym or Barre class…
Golf is a social game. More than the outdated idea of men escaping their DIY duties over weekends, it is also a fun family activity, team-building exercise and yes, a way of doing business – all of which ticks Millennial trend boxes. Golf allows you to mix work and pleasure, to swop the gym for the outdoors and to combine exercise with socialising.
Golfcourseindustry.com shares these sentiments in their article Will Millennials Save Golf? According to them, there are about 6.4 million Millennial golfers, second in number only to the 6.8 million Gen X golfers. “The No. 1 reason Millennials play golf is to hang out with friends. That’s closely followed by enjoying being outdoors and athletic competition. Interesting, business-related reasons, such as growing their network, were last on their list. They just want to have fun.”
But Millennials are growing up. They might invest in property at an older age than previous generations, but Millennials are travelling and spending on experiences and they are earning salaries. This well-educated generation is a workforce to be reckoned with and although or because they look at their work environment differently, I think we can expect them on the golf course for business reasons – and then of course to have fun or perhaps even just for sharing a glass of (non-alcoholic!) wine at the nineteenth!