Millennials just aren't feeling golf.
At least not as much as the golf industry would like. More than 6 million people ages 18-34 played the game last year — but that's only two-thirds of the same age group during the early 1990s, according to the National Golf Foundation.
Millennials are finding the game to be too expensive and time-consuming. Additionally, the generation is hyper-inclusive, compared to non-millennials who moreso value exclusivity.
Many brands are trying to lure more millennials to the green, including gottaGolf.
Upon graduation from college, gottaGolf CEO Clint Jarvis moved to Atlanta and fell in love with the game.
"I thought there would be an easy way to tap into an ecosystem of other golfers, but there wasn't," Jarvis said.
This need was the inspiration that fueled gottaGolf.
The Atlanta-based tech startup wants to make it easier for people to "connect with the golf world around them," and has created an app that helps golfers organize outtings, connect with fellow golfers and even share moments from the green.
"For past generations, it was common to go to country clubs to network, socialize and share experiences," Jarvis said. "We are simply taking the country club experience that could be too expensive for some millennials to the digital world where they can connect with others for business or pleasure, from the palm of their hand, and for free."
GottaGolf aims to grow its user base to 3 million, focusing initially on the Atlanta market.
"The startup scene in Atlanta is booming," Jarvis said. "The community offers a number of resources and embraces risk-taking. People are willing to reach out and help along the entrepreneurial journey."
Read more about gottaGolf here.
About the Author
