Picture it. It’s the year 2040, and you want to hit the links. Chances are that golf course you’re about to play on doesn’t look anything like it did way back in 2015. Yes, golf is changing. Participation is down, courses are struggling and retail sales are sluggish.
Game Changers
Those who are really concerned about the future of the sport are scrambling to find fixes for common complaints, like golf is too hard; too slow; too expensive; too time-consuming. While solutions have been proposed, many of them will likely change the game as we know it.
Looking into the Future
Fast forward to 2040. Here’s what your round of golf on Cape Cod might be like, as excerpted from GolfStinks.com.
You step-out onto the first tee at 9 o’clock…at night. It seems the idea behind TopGolf spills-out to the actual course. Behind you is a fully-stocked bar teaming with patrons. You place your beer in a cup-holder next to the ball-washer and approach the glow-in-the-dark tee markers. You tee-up (both ball and tee are also glowing) and drive the ball towards a giant illuminated target in the middle of the fairway – the bulls-eye being the 150-yard marker.
It’s easy to follow the flightpath of your approach shot as it careens through the air like a shooting star towards the green, the flagstick and flag lit-up like a tree on Christmas. You pull-out your putter and promptly drain a 40-foot putt for birdie. Of course, the hole is 20 inches in diameter.
Hole #2 is a par 3 with a pond and trap flanking the green and a portable bar flanking the tee-box. There’s also the closest-to-the-pin contest going on, where the winner from your foursome gets a free shot from the bar and the overall winner for the evening gets three free rounds of golf (it’s not uncommon for the ball closest-to-the pin to actually be in the hole, and thus have several overall winners for the evening).
Hole #3, a par 5, features the obvious long-drive contest, where prizes range from free drinks to free golf depending on how far you can hit it. Each level is conveniently marked in the fairway: 300-325 yards has grass glowing red; 325-350 the grass glows blue; and 350-375 glows yellow (both free rounds and drinks beyond that). If you think these distances seem a bit far for average golfers, it’s only because no one abides by the USGA rule book anymore…so using non-conforming equipment (balls, clubs, etc.) is the norm.
You get the drift. Golf as we know it today might be totally different in just a quarter century from now.
Some Things Do NOT Change on Cape Cod
Whether or not a change of the game is inevitable, one thing is certain: Golf is still a thoroughly enjoyed past time on Cape Cod. Come Spring, when the courses open for business, hotels see a huge uptick in golf vacationers who want a traditional golf experience.
Bayside Resort Hotel, voted best mid-cape hotel year after year, offer unique Cape Cod hotel golf packages and so much more… at affordable rates all year round!
Before you book your next Cape Cod golf vacation, check out the incredible golf package deals that are available at Bayside!
