Jack: Pitching 12-Hole Concept To Finchem

Joe Biddle reports on Jack Nicklaus' visit to "The Vinny" on Sunday, a charity fundraiser for Vince Gill.  Seems Jack was chatty about the game. Thanks to reader Jim for this.

“Since 2006, we’ve lost 20 percent of the women in the game and we’ve lost 20 percent of the juniors in the game,” Nicklaus said. “If you’re the CEO of a corporation and have those numbers, you say, ‘What do I do?’ The professional game is great. The showcase is great.

“But is the showcase bringing people into the game, or is it running them out of the game? It’s a good question.”

Jack feels the pro game is no longer relatable to the average man, woman and junior.

“Quite often, by local knowledge, he would beat me,” Nicklaus said. “You go to these courses today and play the club champion at 7,500 yards and you run in Phil Mickelson and there’s no chance in the world (the club champion) is going to beat them.

“I worry about that as it relates to what is happening in the game.”

Jack's now on the 12-hole kick.

Looking forward, Nicklaus believes cutting a round of golf to 12 holes would be more palatable for golfers who don’t want to make it a day-long process.

He tossed the idea past Finchem, who pooh-poohed it six or seven months ago. Finchem talked to Nicklaus at the Masters this year, and Nicklaus said Finchem is starting to consider the idea.

Now Jack just has to figure out how to make it Tim's idea!

At two of Nicklaus’ courses — Muirfield and the Bear’s Club — he had them make up 12-hole scorecards.

“My seniors are loving it,” he said. “The game is so difficult to start with. You take kids. They start basketball at a 6-foot hoop, 7-foot hoop, small ball, big ball.... All the sports work their selves up. In golf, you start with a set of clubs and a hard golf ball and it’s not easy.

“It’s the health of the game, the growth of the game, keeping people in the game, that I’m interested in.”

There's a video accompanying the story as well: