Golf 'too slow' for young people, according to R&A study

A study carried out by golf's governing body, the R&A, has shown that younger people are not playing golf because they think it takes too long.

The survey, which gathered 56,000 responses worldwide, showed that young people want a round to take less time and are keen to play more nine-hole rounds rather than a full 18-holes.

"This survey is the first step for us in examining, in detail, the wide range of issues currently affecting participation in golf," Duncan Weir, executive director of Working for Golf, told The Scotsman.

"There is plenty of anecdotal evidence available, but we conducted the survey to obtain accurate data on how much of an issue pace of play is for golfers and to give us an insight into what they see as the main factors contributing to slow rounds."

Sixty percent of all respondents said that they would enjoy the game more if rounds took less time.