Briton Westwood said part of the dilemma is the perception of golfing as a “White sport.”
“I imagine it is really continue to perceived as a White activity if I’m becoming completely genuine,” he explained. “If you glance at the persons that partake in it, and definitely the crowds that transform up, it is really dominated by White individuals.
“There is certainly not adequate Black folks that occur into the recreation. I you should not know what the remedy is to that. But there has to be an respond to due to the fact sport must be for all people, shouldn’t it?”
In a assertion sent to CNN Sport, the European Tour explained it performed in 31 international locations across 5 continents, had customers from 35 countries and winners from 36 countries because the Tour started in 1972.
“We are the gatekeepers of the skilled game and we discriminate in opposition to no person,” included the Tour assertion. “Everyone who will come by means of the junior or amateur ranks, from any country, to qualify for our Tour, we welcome with open arms.
“Range is something we rejoice every single working day, but at the exact time we also continue to listen and get the job done on ways to broaden golf’s enchantment, and golf participation, to all spots of modern society. We also stand in solidarity with all people wishing to conclude all types of discrimination.”
The Royal & Historic Golf Club of St. Andrews, which alongside one another with the US Golfing Affiliation (USGA), governs the sport of golf worldwide, was not immediately obtainable to remark at the time of publication.
In the US, close to 25% of people who performed on a golf course for the very first time in 2017 were non-White.
Even so, 82% of all golfers in the US are White, though 25% of junior golfers (aged 6-17) had been non-White.
The PGA Tour and the USGA did not immediately reply to CNN’s request for comment.
Priced out
Westwood singled out the cost of enjoying golf as a important barrier to entry.
“Golf’s much too expensive, I assume,” said the 47-yr-aged Westwood. “It is as well high priced to be part of golf equipment.”
Only 30% of responding non-public golf equipment had a checklist rate of $7,500 or less. That is without having once-a-year “dues” (membership costs) which, in accordance to the study, charge an typical of $6,245 (roughly $520 for every thirty day period). Some clubs also require a minimum amount of money to be invested in the club store and bar each individual month.
