"There might be some deeper lessons for golf from the 2012 elections than simply who won the White House and Capitol Hill."

Reading the player reaction to the elections prompted Bradley Klein to ask the golf community to have a more open mind moving forward as the sport faces huge question marks in the future.

It’s well known that golf is in some version of gradual decline demographically during the past decade, with the round count generally down, fewer golfers claiming their avidity for the game, and retention of newcomers to the game an ongoing concern. Recent evidence suggests something of a rebound in the round count, but the private-club market is especially vulnerable, and with course closings dramatically outpacing course openings, there’s every reason for the industry to address issues of belt tightening and operational efficiency, along with recruitment of new players and retention of existing ones.