Can an 8-inch hole make golf cool again?

Can bigger golf holes bring bigger crowds out to play? At least one B.C. golf course hopes so.

With the the golfing population aging, many golf courses are looking for ways to bring in younger players, who seem reluctant to take up the game.

The game, which was invented by the Scots more than 500 years ago, has a reputation with the younger generation as expensive and time-consuming.

Younger folks just "don't think it's cool," says Doug Hawley, managing director of the The Redwoods Golf Course in Langley, B.C.

"Golf hasn't really grown," says Hawley. "It hasn't really declined. It's just staying stable."

Many like Hawley say the game can also be frustrating, trying to sink the ball in to the time-honoured 4¼ inch hole, particularly if you're a beginner.

That's why the Redwoods is experimenting with introducing eight-inch holes every Tuesday, starting April 29.

"If you can take out some of the frustration out the game ... the more relaxed they are, the more they'll enjoy their day, and the more they'll want to come back," says Hawley.

Read the entire CBC article here.

Source: CBC Vancouver