Patt Gallagher and Scott McNealy (Sun, mr corporate golf in the US, 3 hcp) took the Flogton initiative to start a discussion to make golf more attractive for new players. Their main point is that most sports have different sets of rules depending on the level of play of the athlete: baseball for the pro’s is played differently from junior league baseball and softball. Why? To make the sport attractive and playable for all. Golf has one set of rules for all levels. Flogton invented 10 basic rules to make golf more enjoyable for newcomers.
Flogton: “Golf is one of the greatest games ever developed. It combines power and precision, requires mental acuity and toughness, and fosters a code of ethics unparalleled in any sport. But golf is also difficult and frustrating to the vast majority of players. No other sport asks you your “handicap” before you play. No other sport plays the same venues and with the same equipment as professionals.
The mission of the AGA is to promote “Golf for the Rest of Us.” While there are about 200 players in the world who make serious money playing the game, there are about 50 million in the United States alone who have invested time and money learning the game. About 25 million play in any year, but only about 5 million are considered core players. The other 20 million are slowly reducing their play or are leaving the game.
The AGA believes this decline is structural, not just a result of the prolonged economic conditions. Golf is regulated by the USGA, whose goal is to “protect” the game, not grow it. The explosion of the internet, gaming, social networks and other entertainment options has not made consumers look kindly on golf; its difficulty, social rules, time and expense make it a poor value in today’s world.
It is the AGA mission to bring to golf what baseball has encouraged: ways to enjoy the game as you grow and improve, as well as enjoy it as you age. There are 100 times more people who play softball than they are playing hardball. Why not open that door in golf, for the 20 million rest of us?”
The Ten “Rules” of the AGA
- Tee the ball anywhere on the course.
- Move ball six feet anywhere no closer to the hole.
- Two-putt maximum.
- Hit when ready = (1 stroke ob)
- Change balls at any time.
- One mulligan per hole.
- Drop one hole score per six holes.
- No limit of clubs, and sharing is OK.
- One stroke out of bounds, no distance penalty.
- One shot out of trap.
As a result of the big media attention Flogton received, Play Golf America promotes the Flogton rules in their “it’s oke to..”. http://pdf.pgalinks.com/p-g-a/Its_Okay_Hints.pdf
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