Hospital Fines, The Tallest Wisconsinite, Future Of Golf

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• Does Golf Need A Redesign?

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  Someone once said that golf is a good walk spoiled. These days, people might be taking that message to heart: There’s a sense that the game is struggling to attract newer players.

  And now, the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) has even established a task force to come up with ideas for making the game more accessible.

  “Even if something’s not broken, you have to keep it fresh and revive it,” said Ashley Mayo, senior editor at Golf Digest Magazine and a member of the task force.

  Mayo said that one of the big hurdles when it comes to getting people to golf is convincing them that the game is worth the time and money.

  “Eighteen holes is borderline crazy for some people,” she said.

  While 18 holes has long been considered to be the standard for golf, Mayo said it might be time to reconsider what it means to actually play a round. She said she thinks that if people have the option to play anything from a three-hole round to a 12-hole round, it might make the sport more appealing.

  “We’re trying to come up with ways, first of all, to get people to accept the idea that if they play three holes, it means that they did play golf,” May said. “Also, we’re trying to think of ways to convince golf courses to offer six-hole rates and 12-hole rates.”

  Another aspect that turns some people off from golf is the high level of difficulty, and the frustration that sometimes comes attached with the challenge. One way the PGA is thinking about addressing the issue of difficulty is the creation of a 15-inch hole, which would be four times larger than the standard cup.

  Golf purists might cringe at the idea, but Mayo said that a smaller cup would not replace the traditional one — rather, it would co-exist with it on the green.

  “This idea is geared towards that golfer who is frustrated, and who is looking for something that’s a little easier, and more fun, and quicker,” Mayo said.

  Another perk of having a large cup on the green is that it would cater to players of a game that’s been rising in popularity: footgolf.

  “It’s kind of like combining soccer with golf,” Mayo said, of the precision sport in which players kick a soccer ball and try to make it into the hole. Golf courses around the country are starting to take notice of the new trend, and are including larger holes on their greens to accommodate the players.

  Mayo said she recently played in a footgolf game herself alongside regular golfers on the same course.

  “We did our own thing and played foot golf while other golfers played the traditional sport, and no one minded,” Mayo said. “We were all out there having fun.”

  Mayo said that no matter what changes may be implemented, she still believes that golf will remain a beautiful and engaging game, and one that tends to mirror life.

  “Not all bounces are going to go your way, even if you hit the perfect shot,” Mayo said. “You just have to go on and hit the next shot and figure it out from there.”

• Hospitals Across Nation, Wisconsin Facing Potential Fines

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  Because of a crackdown on patient injuries and infections, more than 750 hospitals across the countries could be facing potential fines. A health reporter discusses what’s being looked at, and how Wisconsin stacks up.

• Wisconsin Legends: Clifford Thompson

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  During his lifetime, Clifford Thompson claimed he was 8’7.’’ A writer talks about the life of the tallest Wisconsinite who ever lived.

• With Declining Participation, Are New Ideas Key To Saving Golf?

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  Across the country, participation in the sport of golf is down. Courses are closing, and new golfers are few are far between. Is the future bleak for one of the world’s oldest sports? An editor from Golf Digest talks about some ideas to shake up the game, in an attempt to make it fresh and fun for generations of golfers to come.