????許多評論人士都說高爾夫已經(jīng)跟年輕人脫節(jié),，需要重新贏得他們的青睞,。年輕人的高爾夫運動參與度正在下降，高爾夫用具的銷售也在減少,。

????嗯,，首先，我覺得美國高爾夫基金會公布的參與度數(shù)據(jù)很不對,。這一點我已經(jīng)說過,。實際上我覺得這些數(shù)據(jù)絕對是不完整的，他們的信息有誤,，不利于這項運動,。

????另一個問題是TaylorMade等高爾夫用具制造商每隔六個月就會推出新產(chǎn)品。這幾乎是在有計劃地淘汰原有產(chǎn)品,，人們已經(jīng)不勝其煩,。他們不會每過半年就去買新球桿。這些廠商卻抱怨說：“噢,，不,，瞧瞧這些打高爾夫的?！眴栴}不在高爾夫,，而在這些生產(chǎn)商。

????我覺得在較高層次,，高爾夫運動情況良好,。10年來我一直在收購的東西,，現(xiàn)在人們可能絕買不到。我喜歡在這些球場倒閉后買下它們,，而且價格非常低?，F(xiàn)在人們絕對沒辦法按我當時的收購價買下Doral球場。我收購它時市場處于最低點,，整個經(jīng)濟一團糟,，邁阿密的狀況也不好。現(xiàn)在邁阿密也許是國內(nèi)最熱門的地區(qū),。我把這項收購作為長期投資,，為我自己，最終也是為我的家人,，而且我已經(jīng)告訴他們永遠也不要賣掉這個球場,。我只買最好的。我對9洞球場不感興趣,，只喜歡18洞,。

????對于讓高爾夫年輕化和大眾化的努力你怎么看？

????我想我是少數(shù)派,，我對高爾夫的感覺和別人不同,。我覺得高爾夫應(yīng)該是一種高端運動，應(yīng)該是人們“心向往之”的,。他們應(yīng)該去追捧高爾夫,，而不是讓高爾夫來迎合他們。

????五年來他們做了許多本不應(yīng)該做的事,。我覺得讓球洞變大的主意實在是糟透了,。高爾夫是商務(wù)運動。

????現(xiàn)在還是嗎,？

????我在高爾夫球場上跟別人談成了一些生意,，要是換做吃午餐,，就絕對做不到這一點,。我真的建議過沃頓商學(xué)院開高爾夫課。這項運動容易建議建立感情,，能讓你更好地了解別人,，讓他們成為你的伙伴。提到奧巴馬時我總是說我不介意他打高爾夫,，但他應(yīng)該找那些他想與之達成協(xié)議的人打高爾夫,。

????我要再說一次，出于這個原因,，我討厭看到這項運動淪為足球高爾夫或者腳踢高爾夫,，不管他們怎么叫[筆者注：他所說的是足式高爾夫,，即用足球來代替高爾夫球，用腳代替球桿,，或者是指“Hack Golf“的公開實驗,，采用直徑15英寸的球洞，目的是讓高爾夫運動低齡化,。]許多商務(wù)人士打高爾夫的次數(shù)遠遠超過他們希望別人知道的,。我認識的許多商界人士都對我說：“別告訴別人我高爾夫打得很好?！彼麄儾幌胱屪约河心欠N形象,，這是肯定的。但我也要再說一次,，他們在高爾夫球場上做了很多生意,。這項運動應(yīng)該走高端路線，而不是大眾化,。

????所有喜歡高爾夫的人在25歲時都還沒打過高爾夫,。我覺得要來的人總會來，不必過分爭取,。推廣力度過大是件壞事,。那么，如果球場沒人光顧會怎么樣呢,，情況就是找?guī)讉€人去大量地割草,，并且大量地澆水。

????也就是說你不支持高爾夫運動的一些創(chuàng)新之舉,，以及讓它變得更開放的想法,。

????我覺得這樣做一點兒用也沒有。高爾夫應(yīng)該是美的,、優(yōu)雅的,，人們爭取參與其中的運動。

????這是精英論嗎,？

????可能是吧,，但高爾夫或許就需要這個。讓高爾夫成為精英運動,。我說的“心向往之”是積極的意義,。人們努力工作，爭取到某一天能去打高爾夫,，或者說負擔得起這項運動,。有些人永遠也不會真的去打高爾夫，別人卻要教他們打高爾夫,，這就過分了,。受參與這項運動的成本以及所需的土地影響,，高爾夫永遠也不會成為籃球那樣只要有塊場地就能玩的運動。

????你知道那些偉大的運動員退役后干什么,？他們沒干別的,，都去打高爾夫了。那些籃球,、冰球,、橄欖球運動員，他們退役后都想打高爾夫,。

????讓高爾夫成為高端運動,，不要降低它的層次、讓15歲還在學(xué)其他的運動項目的人去打高爾夫,。我覺得這樣做對高爾夫運動貽害無窮,。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：Charlie

????校對：詹妮

????Many pundits say the sport has lost touch with young people and needs to win them back. Youth participation is down, equipment sales are down.

????Well, first of all, I think the [participation] data that’s been out there from the National Golf Foundation is bad. I’ve said that. I actually think they’re absolutely incompetent. I think their information is faulty and they’re bad for the game.

????One of the other things that happens is these equipment makers, like TaylorMade, they keep coming out with new stuff every six months. It’s almost like planned obsolescence. People are tired of it. They’re not going to buy drivers every six months. And the industry complains and says, “Oh no, look at these golf numbers.” It’s not golf, it’s them.

????I think the game is doing well at the high levels, and the things that I’ve been buying over the last 10 years, you could never buy today. I like to buy ‘em when they close, and I get a great price. Doral, you could never buy that today for what I paid. That was bought at the bottom of a market when the world had collapsed, and Miami was not doing well. And now Miami is probably the hottest place in the country. I bought it as a long-term deal for myself and ultimately for my family, and I’ve instructed them never to sell. I only buy jewels. I’m not interested in 9s. Only the 10s.

????What do you think of the efforts to make the game younger and more accessible?

????I think I’m in a minority, but I feel differently about golf. I feel golf should be an aspirational game, something people aspire to. People should come to golf, golf shouldn’t come to them.

????They shouldn’t do many of the things that have been done over the last five years. I think the bigger hole idea is just terrible.

????Golf is the sport of business—

????Is it, still?

????I’ve made deals on a golf course that I would have never, ever made over a lunch. I actually told the people at Wharton, “You should give a course in golf.” There’s something about the camaraderie. You get to know people better, they’re your partner. I’ve always said about Obama that I don’t mind that he plays golf, but he should play golf with people he wants to make agreements with.

????And again, that’s why I hate to see it cheapened with soccer golf or kick-golf, whatever it is they call it. [Note: He’s referring to either FootGolf, where people play soccer on a golf course, or to Hack Golf, an open experiment to make golf younger that resulted in trying 15-inch holes.] A lot of businesspeople play a lot more golf than they want you to think they play. I know many businesspeople who say to me, “Don’t tell people I’m a good golfer.” They don’t want that image, necessarily. But again, so much business is transacted on golf courses. And it should be aspirational as opposed to widespread.

????All the people who love it now, they didn’t play when they were 25. I say whoever comes comes, don’t fight too hard. You try to sell it too hard, it’s a bad thing. Now, when you have a course and no one is going there, I’ll tell you what, that’s a lot of lawn-mowing for a few people. And a lot of watering.

????So you’re not a fan of the new innovations and ideas to change the game, open it up a little.

????I don’t think it’s going to help anything. Golf should be something beautiful, elegant, something people aspire to play eventually.

????Is that elitist?

????It may be elitist, and perhaps that’s what golf needs. Let golf be elitist. When I say “aspire,” that’s a positive word. Let people work hard and aspire to some day be able to play golf. To afford to play it. They’re trying to teach golf to people who will never be able to really play it. They’re trying too hard. Because of the expense of playing, and the land needed, golf is never going to be basketball, where all you need is a court.

????All these great athletes, you know what they do when they retire? They do nothing but play golf. Basketball players, hockey players, football players, all they want to do is golf.

????Let it be aspirational instead of bringing it down by trying to get players to do it when they’re 15 years old and they’re also learning other sports. I think it’s very damaging to the game.