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Golf's Digital Divide
theodp writes "Are $50,000 simulators and $4,500 sensor vests driving a wedge between golf's haves and have-nots? That's the question posed by the WSJ, who reports that a new generation of expensive high-tech tools is stoking a costly arms race among golfers looking for an edge in a sport that already has an elitist reputation."
Someone had to say it first....
I don't believe this is the tragedy that the submission of this story implies. It is unfortunate that such equipment is inaccessible to everyone, but if nothing else, isn't a sport striving for greatness? I see training as a different sort of advantage than say, steroid use. Ultimately, no tool will replace hard work; a professional golfer, regardless of income, must work for success.
If we draw a line based on income, what else does that set a precedent for? Genetics can also provide an advantage; how should that be resolved? What about in other situations? Do I want my doctor to have inferior training than another, because having access to expensive training tools gives him an 'unfair' competitive edge in the health market?
At a cost of $60 for green fees (the lowest around here), the wedge between golfing "Haves" and "Have-nots" begins before you even reach the gilded gates of the course. Add in golf-cart and clubs, plus drinks afterwards, it's easy to drop $120 to go golfing.
Phooey...
52 52'23" W 47 32'07" N
$50,000 simulators to play golf are no more necessary than a $100,000 swiss watch is necessary to tell the time.
who fucking cares. who cares if some guy on another hole has some $50,000 machine to practice on. it doens't impact me in the least. i could care less what others play, just my own.
no it's not.
but do these things actually help golfers that much? They may just be a way to suck money out of rich people who can afford to throw their money down the drain (or hole in this case) There are always things for rich people to try to save a stroke or two on their gamek, but determination will always win out
If you're a Tiger woods then perhaps equipment that gives you an extra 1% edge is worth it, but most people would not tell the difference. The biggest success determining factors are ability and practice. Expensive kit does nothing unless you actually use it.
Marketers understand what drives buying for premium spending sports (golf, fly fishing,...). Most of the sportsmen don't have enough time to get out and practice sufficiently and feel a bit guilt about it. Being able to buy the toys helps alleviate that feeling of guilt rather than actually improving the game directly.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Also, this haves vs. the have-nots thing is a bunch of hogwash. Yes, there are a few extremely rich people who show it off. But most people who have a few million in the bank don't show it. I know a few people like this. One drives a car that's fifteen years old. Another drives a piece of junk. They look like simple people. Their bank account doesn't affect their thinking. But on the other end of the spectrum, there are a ton of people nowadays who feel a need to show off and attract attention. They do so by overextending themselves on their credit cards and multiple refinances of their homes, so they can drive fancy cars and live a high-roller's life. They're generally the ones who buy all those gadgets.
And like I said, they'll get laughed right off the golf course, because a guy who shows up with $15,000 in electronic golf gadgets is like the nerd kid who shows up on his bicycle with 50 different pieces of safety equipment like pads and gloves because his mom thinks he'll get a scratch otherwise.
Silicon Valley started to go downhill when executives started playing golf instead of raquetball and tennis.
Come on mods, that is funny.. lighten up would ya. Golf doesn't need to be expensive but it definitely can be if you so choose to invest money into it. The expensive uber-elite private courses with yearly membership fees of $50K are really the exception. I play every monday & tuesday on a public course with a neighbour (it's only a short 5 minute walk) and it costs $14 to play 9 holes... on the weekends its a bit more expensive but with a group of friends + case of beer, it's worth the money.
Every year I end up buying a new club of some sort, sometimes I'll drop a few bucks on a putter, couple of hundred a year in total I would guess. Kids probably spend twice as much as I do on their Xbox games and jolt, so it's all relative IMHO. The only time I take the game of golf seriously is when I step up to the ball and do what I can to get it close to the hole...
If you're interested in golf I would suggest grabbing a bag of clubs from a local garage sale, it doesn't have to be fancy.. just make sure the heads aren't loosening up (that can be repaired for a few dollars at the pro-shop.) Find a public course near you and enjoy walking the course, it's healthy way to get in some mild exercise.