????許多評(píng)論人士都說(shuō)高爾夫已經(jīng)跟年輕人脫節(jié)，需要重新贏(yíng)得他們的青睞。年輕人的高爾夫運(yùn)動(dòng)參與度正在下降，高爾夫用具的銷(xiāo)售也在減少。

????嗯，首先，我覺(jué)得美國(guó)高爾夫基金會(huì)公布的參與度數(shù)據(jù)很不對(duì)。這一點(diǎn)我已經(jīng)說(shuō)過(guò)。實(shí)際上我覺(jué)得這些數(shù)據(jù)絕對(duì)是不完整的，他們的信息有誤，不利于這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????另一個(gè)問(wèn)題是TaylorMade等高爾夫用具制造商每隔六個(gè)月就會(huì)推出新產(chǎn)品。這幾乎是在有計(jì)劃地淘汰原有產(chǎn)品，人們已經(jīng)不勝其煩。他們不會(huì)每過(guò)半年就去買(mǎi)新球桿。這些廠(chǎng)商卻抱怨說(shuō)：“噢，不，瞧瞧這些打高爾夫的?！眴?wèn)題不在高爾夫，而在這些生產(chǎn)商。

????我覺(jué)得在較高層次，高爾夫運(yùn)動(dòng)情況良好。10年來(lái)我一直在收購(gòu)的東西，現(xiàn)在人們可能絕買(mǎi)不到。我喜歡在這些球場(chǎng)倒閉后買(mǎi)下它們，而且價(jià)格非常低?，F(xiàn)在人們絕對(duì)沒(méi)辦法按我當(dāng)時(shí)的收購(gòu)價(jià)買(mǎi)下Doral球場(chǎng)。我收購(gòu)它時(shí)市場(chǎng)處于最低點(diǎn)，整個(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)一團(tuán)糟，邁阿密的狀況也不好?，F(xiàn)在邁阿密也許是國(guó)內(nèi)最熱門(mén)的地區(qū)。我把這項(xiàng)收購(gòu)作為長(zhǎng)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(yuǎn)也不要賣(mài)掉這個(gè)球場(chǎng)。我只買(mǎi)最好的。我對(duì)9洞球場(chǎng)不感興趣，只喜歡18洞。

????對(duì)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(duì)高爾夫的感覺(jué)和別人不同。我覺(jué)得高爾夫應(yīng)該是一種高端運(yùn)動(dòng)，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(lái)迎合他們。

????五年來(lái)他們做了許多本不應(yīng)該做的事。我覺(jué)得讓球洞變大的主意實(shí)在是糟透了。高爾夫是商務(wù)運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????現(xiàn)在還是嗎？

????我在高爾夫球場(chǎng)上跟別人談成了一些生意，要是換做吃午餐，就絕對(duì)做不到這一點(diǎn)。我真的建議過(guò)沃頓商學(xué)院開(kāi)高爾夫課。這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)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(shí)我總是說(shuō)我不介意他打高爾夫，但他應(yīng)該找那些他想與之達(dá)成協(xié)議的人打高爾夫。

????我要再說(shuō)一次，出于這個(gè)原因，我討厭看到這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)淪為足球高爾夫或者腳踢高爾夫，不管他們?cè)趺唇衃筆者注：他所說(shuō)的是足式高爾夫，即用足球來(lái)代替高爾夫球，用腳代替球桿，或者是指“Hack Golf“的公開(kāi)實(shí)驗(yàn)，采用直徑15英寸的球洞，目的是讓高爾夫運(yùn)動(dòng)低齡化。]許多商務(wù)人士打高爾夫的次數(shù)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)他們希望別人知道的。我認(rèn)識(shí)的許多商界人士都對(duì)我說(shuō)：“別告訴別人我高爾夫打得很好。”他們不想讓自己有那種形象，這是肯定的。但我也要再說(shuō)一次，他們?cè)诟郀柗蚯驁?chǎng)上做了很多生意。這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)應(yīng)該走高端路線(xiàn)，而不是大眾化。

????所有喜歡高爾夫的人在25歲時(shí)都還沒(méi)打過(guò)高爾夫。我覺(jué)得要來(lái)的人總會(huì)來(lái)，不必過(guò)分爭(zhēng)取。推廣力度過(guò)大是件壞事。那么，如果球場(chǎng)沒(méi)人光顧會(huì)怎么樣呢，情況就是找?guī)讉€(gè)人去大量地割草，并且大量地澆水。

????也就是說(shuō)你不支持高爾夫運(yùn)動(dòng)的一些創(chuàng)新之舉，以及讓它變得更開(kāi)放的想法。

????我覺(jué)得這樣做一點(diǎn)兒用也沒(méi)有。高爾夫應(yīng)該是美的、優(yōu)雅的，人們爭(zhēng)取參與其中的運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????這是精英論嗎？

????可能是吧，但高爾夫或許就需要這個(gè)。讓高爾夫成為精英運(yùn)動(dòng)。我說(shuō)的“心向往之”是積極的意義。人們努力工作，爭(zhēng)取到某一天能去打高爾夫，或者說(shuō)負(fù)擔(dān)得起這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)。有些人永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)真的去打高爾夫，別人卻要教他們打高爾夫，這就過(guò)分了。受參與這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)的成本以及所需的土地影響，高爾夫永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)成為籃球那樣只要有塊場(chǎng)地就能玩的運(yùn)動(dòng)。

????你知道那些偉大的運(yùn)動(dòng)員退役后干什么？他們沒(méi)干別的，都去打高爾夫了。那些籃球、冰球、橄欖球運(yùn)動(dòng)員，他們退役后都想打高爾夫。

????讓高爾夫成為高端運(yùn)動(dòng)，不要降低它的層次、讓15歲還在學(xué)其他的運(yùn)動(dòng)項(xiàng)目的人去打高爾夫。我覺(jué)得這樣做對(duì)高爾夫運(yùn)動(dòng)貽害無(wú)窮。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：Charlie

????校對(duì)：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.