Golf and tennis were long seen as sports for rich old men. But now Generation Z is pushing onto the courts. The Boomers are far from thrilled about it.
Golf and tennis are considered the sports of old white men. However, in recent years, many sports, including golf and tennis, have seen a significant rise in popularity. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of people who have visited a driving range, a golf course, or consumed golf content has increased by 30% since 2016:
- Almost 1.5 million more people than the average of previous years – a total of 3.4 million – played golf for the first time in 2023.
- The highest increase is among adults aged 18 to 34.
- Golf has become especially interesting for young women: 37% of golfers under 18 were female in 2023, compared to only 15% in 2000.
Ironically, things like exclusivity are becoming increasingly attractive to Generation Z. To the dismay of the Boomers, who have previously dominated golf and would like to continue doing so.
Young people play golf because they want the ‘old money’ feeling
Why has golf suddenly become so exciting? It’s because more and more young people are interested in money, wealth, and power: Two-thirds of Generation Z and almost three-quarters of Millennials stated in a Harris poll 2024 (PDF) that they want to be billionaires.
And standing on the golf course in a plaid shirt with a martini is, for many young people, a hallmark of prosperity. For many young people, money is also a way to become socially more independent: Many newcomers to the golf course are eager to reach a new level of wealth. Conquering the golf course is the first step to conquering the boardroom.
And then there’s the ‘old money’ feeling and the aesthetics that many feel drawn to. However, there are already people saying: The atmosphere of old money fades when thousands of young people flood the courses.
The older generation is not thrilled about the young generation on the golf course
What do the Boomers have to say about this? The English-language magazine Business Insider interviewed Chris Jenkins, a 53-year-old golfer. He has been playing golf for over 30 years and longs for the quiet days before Generation Z stormed the golf courses: Without loud music, with a strict dress code, and especially with the chance to actually play golf:
I admit it, I am the proverbial “get off my lawn” type. We can’t get tee times, and the rounds now take 5 ½ hours. We blame them all.
(…)
Sneakers on the course, music – I don’t like it. There are people who say: “Oh, you’re such a country club snob”, and frankly, yes.
To avoid the chaos of Generation Z, Jenkins has joined forces with other golfers in private clubs, where they can enjoy their peace to practice their “gentleman sport” in peace. If it were up to him, it would stay that way, but he admits that his generation is at the end of its line: “I get it, my generation is on the way out. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
A French authority has examined the consumption behavior of the population. It found that older people love linear television, while young people are hardly interested in it anymore. This is also a long-term challenge for companies that have primarily relied on linear TV: Boomers love it, Gen Z can’t relate: Young people pose a major challenge to an entire sector
