Business View Magazine - July 2023

133 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 Overall Whitten says the NGF numbers indicate golf continues to grow consistently. “Over 41 million people are playing golf nationally and while there are those of us who think well, it’s the retired generation, the people over 50 playing theses rounds, that’s not necessarily the case,” he says. “The National Golf Foundation says the 18 to 34-year-old group actually comprise the most golfers and the segments that are growing the fastest – and I love to hear this – are women and juniors.” Judy Lazzaro is vice-president of the GAM, a rules official and president elect in 2024. A member through Oakland University’s Golf and Learning Center facilities, she feels the GAM has made progress in growing the game as well as emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion. “At the (recent) annual meeting we were introduced to the new (GAM Governors) and half were women, and for the first time ever we have a person of color on the officer team (Secretary Robert Ofoli),” she says. “Our major tournaments have full qualifiers and that is a good indication of growth in my opinion. The GAM is also doing more programming that THE GOLF ASSOCIAT ION OF MICHIGAN