Pattern - Golf Comparison

[EHaury at aol.com]

We've been in the seasonal discussion of how to grow pattern, what needs 
changing, etc. Someone made a reference to golf with respect to a comparison of 
excitement (or lack thereof) of watching golf or pattern. Golfers and pattern 
flyers seem to somewhat similar in the personal challenge / achievement 
category. Of course games involving a simple ball tend to appeal to the masses, 
whereas pattern deals with complex equipment. Says something for the technical 
orientation of the masses.

Anyway, a story in the paper prompted me to do some number crunching in an 
effort to evaluate how the pattern (competition) types compare with the golf pro 
players. The golfers claim 26,200,000 players as compared to 170,000 AMA 
members. They claim 5800 clubs (courses) as compared to 2500 model clubs (fields). 
The golfers consider an active player one who plays 25 rounds a year and is 
20% of the players (5.2mm). Seems reasonable to consider an active flyer as one 
who flies 25 times a year, so assuming the 20% is realistic, we've about 
34000 active flyers. Hmmm - that equates to 14 active flyers / club whereas 
golfers have 328. If we then look at the PGA Tournament Player numbers it looks like 
around 250 (?) card holders which is about 1% of the active players. (Maybe 
1.5% if other venues as LPGA, etc. are included). The number of active pattern 
flyers seems to be around 500 or so.  Hmmmm - that equates to 1.5% of active 
flyers. Looks pretty close.

My point is that a very small percentage of any venue attracts the people 
with the willingness and resources to put forth the effort to participate at a 
level of excellence suitable for competition. Then there must be acceptance that 
one will not always (or often) win. By DaveL's definition, it takes a special 
person to work as hard as pattern requires while knowing one will be a loser! 
Receiving the $$$$ the golf guys get for losing would sure help! 

We should consider that rule tweaks might attract a few non-competitors, but 
at the same time lose some that we have. Most of us are attracted to pattern 
for what it is and would like for it to stay pretty close to where it is. Golf 
doesn't change to every whim of a potential newbie, but the fraternity is very 
good at promoting, training, and helping. It doesn't hurt that the country 
club is the center of the community. Hmmm - we get the landfill for a flying 
site (and are thankful for it).

Earl
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