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Media Relations

The Tiger Woods Effect

Tiger Woods' phenomenal golfing success and buffed-up physique have brought weightlifting and physical fitness into the realm of professional and competitive golf in addition to putting more feet -- and more socioeconomically diverse people -- onto the greens, according to an IU Bloomington study.

"Tiger has brought fitness to the sport," said Gary Sailes, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "He has changed the culture of golf in the United States."

Sailes' research interests include sport and the African American experience. He coordinates the department's undergraduate program in sports marketing and management. To detail the "Tiger Woods Effect," Sailes examined data from a variety of segments of the golf industry and conducted a literature review. In addition to lucrative financial gains for Woods, other professional golfers and the industry as a whole, the "Tiger Woods Effect" can be credited with the following benefits:

• More golf courses are being built, with a higher proportion open to the public. Ninety percent of the nearly 500 new courses built in 2003 were public. Approximately 500 inner city golf programs exist, compared to 85 in 1994. "The private mystique of golf has disappeared," Sailes said. "Golf has become democratized and affordable."
• More adults and youth are playing the game. Prior to Woods' professional golfing debut in 1996, a typical annual increase in new golfers was 1 percent. The "Tiger Woods Effect" lifted this to 5 percent. The percentage of African American golfers has doubled in this time. Sailes said more than 3 million people have taken up golf since 1999, bringing the number of U.S. golfers to more than 26 million. The health benefits of golf come primarily from walking. An 18-hole golf course is 4 miles to 4.5 miles long. A golfer who walks this distance, whether carrying or pulling a 45-pound golf bag, receives a nice workout. Even on courses where golfers ride in carts, by the end of the round they can have walked a mile or more to get to their ball.
• Good golf coaches require their athletes to pursue good nutrition, lift weights and run. Weightlifting was taboo prior to Woods' success because golfers thought it would ruin their swing. Now, Sailes said, a fitness trailer follows the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours.
• While competitive golfers are eating healthier, following Woods' example, "nutritional consciousness" has not trickled down to recreational golfers, Sailes said. Hot dogs, chips, sodas or beer are typical treats after golfing, despite the healthy offerings available at clubhouses.

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