Social media ‘causes slow play on the golf course’

A new survey of golfers has found that over half believe the use of social media on golf courses is contributing towards slow play in the game.

Fifty-five per cent of 900 golfers who were questioned about their feelings on social media while playing golf said it is slowing down the game.

The view was more common among older players with 70 per cent of over 60s seeing the use of social as a cause of slow play, compared to just 35 per cent of under 30s.

However, an even bigger majority – 64 per cent – said they use social media on the course, and the figure is 87 per cent for those under 30.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat were the most popular platforms to use, with 39 per cent of those surveyed saying they’ve used Facebook’s ‘Check-In’ feature to let friends know when they’re at a golf course.

Craig Booking, head of Digital Marketing and Development at Online Golf, which carried out the survey, commented: “The use of social media on the golf course is only going to increase as time goes on, and clubs need to be savvy to these changes. Young people in particular use these platforms while they’re golfing, so if clubs want to encourage a younger demographic, they should use it to appeal to them.

“However, they also need to be mindful of the effects this has on slow play and older players who aren’t used to it. The simplest way to do that: club social media guidelines.”

With the sport having lost an estimated 10 million players globally, Booking said golf clubs should embrace millennials by ‘lightening up’ on dress codes and withdrawing social media bans to attract younger players back to the game.

From the survey results, golf courses are urged to set guidelines on the use of social media during play to not only tackle slow play, but to attract new players and increase participation, he added.