There’s no surefire marketing trick to increase a sport’s popularity. Sometimes an emerging star like Caitlin Clark ignites the imagination of fans. Or, in the case of golf, it took something less inspiring — COVID.
“There is a surge [of popularity] coming out of the pandemic,” said Jeremy Freyman, senior director of golf development for the Georgia State Golf Association. “During COVID people needed a way to get outdoors, be social safely. Once they started playing, they couldn’t get enough of it. Hopefully we will continue to retain more golfers every year.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Roughly one in seven Americans hit the links in 2022, according to the PGA Tour — either outside or inside the many golf-focused entertainment venues such as Topgolf, Five Iron Golf — Atlanta, and, yes, even Puttshack — Atlanta, a tech-infused miniature golf course. In 2023, 26.6 million people played on-course golf, according to the National Golf Foundation, an increase from 24.2 million in 2018, while another 18.4 million played exclusively at off-course golf facilities. Almost half of all golfers were between the ages of 6 and 34 — and the percentage of women and people of color golfing increased by 3% and 5%, respectively.
Suddenly, golf is more accessible, engaging and fun. And, for most people, a public golf course is their only outdoor option.
“Public courses are accessible to anybody,” said Freyman. “Think about a private facility. You would need access to it either by being born into a family that belongs to the private club or having a friend who belongs inviting you to play. If that’s not your particular scenario, then it’s going to be a public course or going to the driving range.”
Credit: Courtesy of Echelon Golf
Credit: Courtesy of Echelon Golf
There are 23 golf courses in Atlanta — four public (privately owned and run), eight municipal (owned and/or managed by a city, town or county) and 11 private, according to GolfLink, a website that offers insight into the golf world. In addition, there are 35 courses within 20 miles of the city, including 13 public, five municipal and 17 private, it said.
“Atlanta as a whole has an amazing golf culture but the one area that is lacking is public golf, especially inside the Perimeter,” said Jason Kuiper, director of instruction at Bobby Jones Golf Course, a public course off Northside Drive in the heart of the city. The course was taken over and redesigned in 2018 by the Bobby Jones Golf Foundation with one of its goals being to make golf more accessible, he said.
“Without the Bobby Jones Golf Course, thousands of people who use our facility probably wouldn’t have other options,” he said. “There are few in the city that … have teaching and coaching options. We offer after-school programs, new golfer programs, some of which are diversity focused. We have adaptive golf, golf for veterans. A lot of those programs don’t happen in private clubs as much.”
Credit: Bobby Jones Golf Course
Credit: Bobby Jones Golf Course
The course has served more than 3,000 juniors since 2018, including 250 children annually in its junior PGA league (ages 3 to 17); and more than 100 veterans annually in its PGA Hope program. It also works with the Shepherd Center, providing monthly outpatient therapy golf.
All 10 weeks of Bobby Jones’ summer golf camp are sold out. “Parents are really wanting their kids to get involved in golf, and a lot of courses, both private and public, don’t offer that,” Kuiper said.
Although there is a cost for the driving range and nine-hole course, there is a complimentary Par 3 course as well as chipping and putting areas.
Public golf courses, like private ones, vary in cost, upkeep of the grounds, distinct holes and challenges. Some offer private memberships but also allow public golfers.
The PGA spotlighted the Atlanta area’s five best public courses including the semiprivate Echelon Golf Club in Alpharetta and the Tom Fazio-designed Frog Golf Course in Villa Rica. Bear’s Best is a high-end course in Suwanee that replicates the 18 best holes from Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses. The other two selected were Braselton’s Chateau Elan Golf Club and Stone Mountain Golf Club.
Credit: PARRISH RDV
Credit: PARRISH RDV
Inside golf
Increasingly, experienced golfers as well as neophytes are bringing their game inside and taking advantage of technology to play virtually.
Bobby Jones pro Kuiper says these facilities are good for the game. “They’re amazing. It’s only going to help golf because it takes a long time to knock out a game outside but you can do virtual golf in an hour or two. Again, they’re accessible, lower price and create social experiences.”
At the recently opened Five Iron Golf — Atlanta in Midtown, guests can play a round on more than 200 famed courses such as Pebble Beach before work or they can perfect their swing using shot analysis. The Trackman golf radar maps key functions, such as ball speed or angle, but also captures the swing on camera so that the player can watch it on instant rewind and even download and take the data home.
Credit: Mary Welch
Credit: Mary Welch
“Our technology is the same pros use to analyze their game,” said Tim Nagle, regional operations manager for Five Iron Golf — Atlanta. “If you golf, you just want to get better, so you look at the data functions and our camera angles and analyze your swing. You can compare your swing with that of a pro. Or, you can look at your various swings and learn what you’re doing wrong or right and then adjust.”
While some seek the virtual thrill of teeing off at St. Andrews, others want to practice on a particular course. “A lot of times people may be golfing on vacation and want to get a feel for the course ahead of time,” Nagle said. “We also have people who are going to play a round of golf for business or for a tournament and they want to, again, practice. We also get a lot of couples where one is a golfer and wants the other to try. It may be easier and more fun to do it with us than spend an afternoon on a course.”
Puttshack has taken the old-fashioned Putt-Putt game and “turned it on its head with technology,” said marketing vice president Alison Shulman. And, while little ones still love whacking at the ball, “you can have a serious game and fine-tune your putting skills.” The four nine-hole courses are accessible and can be modified for those with sensory issues. “We’re something everyone can enjoy,” she said.
Whether it’s on an outdoor public course or indoors at a golfing entertainment center, Kuiper says the point is to play golf. “I’m for anything that puts a golf club in someone’s hands,” he said.
Credit: PARRISH RDV
Credit: PARRISH RDV
PLACES TO PLAY
Bear’s Best Atlanta. 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekends; 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays. $68-$146. 5342 Aldeburgh Drive, Suwanee. 678-714-2582, invitedclubs.com.
Chateau Elan Golf Club. 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. $55-$145. 6060 Golf Club Drive, Braselton. 678-425-6050, golf.chateauelan.com.
Echelon Golf Club. 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. daily. $89-$109. 501 Founders Drive. 770-888-4653, echelongolf.com
Five Iron Golf — Atlanta. 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 6 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays; 8 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays. $30-$80 per hour. 675 W. Peachtree St., Suite 209. 800-513-5153, fiveirongolf.com.
The Frog Golf Course. Hours for nonmembers: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. $65-$79. 2699 Georgia Parkway, Villa Rica. 770-459-4400, froggolfclub.com.
Bobby Jones Golf Course. 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays; 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends. $20-$50. 2205 Northside Drive. 404-355-1009, bobbyjonesgc.com.
Puttshack — Atlanta. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays-Wednesdays; 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Thursdays-Saturdays. $14; $9 under 12. 1115 Howell Mill Road, 404-738-7888, puttshack.com.
Stone Mountain Golf Club. 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $37-$59.99. 1145 Stonewall Jackson Drive, Stone Mountain. 770-465-3278, stonemountaingolf.com.
Topgolf Atlanta — Midtown. 9 a.m.-1 a.m. daily. $32-$54.1600 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard. (Locations also in Alpharetta and Buford.) 404-475-4000, topgolf.com.
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