More people shoot than play golf
The Journal Sentinel has posted an article about the growth of shooting sports ...
According to a study conducted by Responsive Management, 34.4 million Americans went target shooting in 2009.
For comparison, 28.6 million Americans golfed (a minimum of one round) in 2008, according to the National Golf Foundation.
The Responsive Management study included a wide spectrum of shooting activities at gun clubs and ranges, including hunters sighting in rifles, trap and skeet shooters and handgun owners practicing marksmanship.
Although the number - about 15% of the nation's population - is not insignificant, target shooters are a distinct minority in America.
And unlike golf, shooting carries a negative stigma in much of mainstream America.
[Hat Tip: Rustmeister's Alehouse]
As the old saying goes – a golf course is a perfect waste of a rifle and a skeet range. A lot of people are beginning to appreciate this old wisdom!
I enjoy both, prefer shooting but like to spend an afternoon playing golf.
And for a french guy, the number of people who enjoy shooting in the US is quite impressive. Sadly here and in most of Europe, the numbers are probably much lower, less than 1% of the population I would say.
love to see those golf courses turned back in to a naturalistic shooting ranges. lawn turf is the most irrigated crop in the US, and golf courses are huge chunk of that. ugly green grass carpet.
A new gun = $500-1000
Ammo = $15-30
New Clubs $500-1000
Tees, balls, green fees, cart fees, club fees….
Oh wait a second,
Glad to hear more people are shooting, at least it is something you can use in more then one place.
Great post steve!
V/R
C_S
And lets get some action pistol or trap competitions broadcast in prime time after that!
Well golf is boring.
So when are we gonna turn all those frakking golf courts into lovely shooting ranges?
johnny, I wholeheartedly share your sentiment.