One of the things National Golf Association of the Philippines president Martin Lorenzo wanted to know when he assumed office in 2018 was the median age of Filipino golfers.

Back then, global golf was declining. And the entire world wasn't aware there's a pandemic coming.

In the Philippines, the situation was even more dire. The median age: 61 years old.

That was based on an unofficial survey made by NGAP secretary general Bones Floro who called up his friends from different clubs in the country.

Unaccounted are golfers who have no club memberships, and registered handicaps.

"What we confirmed is that golf was dying here and everywhere else in the world," Floro told the Daily Tribune's Golf Plus.

"And my boss (Lorenzo) was asking, what will happen to golf in the next 20 years?"

Over the decades, golf has been a victim of its own reputation of being "an old man's sport. And elitist game."

And that's why NGAP decided to go in a completely different path: Grassroots development via mothers and their children.

"When fathers play golf, it's usually among their friends," Floro said. "But there's a study that when mothers play golf, they bring along their family."

That's on top of NGAP's development thrust which centered on golf hotbeds like Del Monte in Bukidnon, and Davao.

NGAP had been providing free clinics to children of golf industry workers. "We want those who are exposed to golf but don't have the means. Like children of caddies, groundskeepers and club employees," Floro said.

But just like everything else, it ground to a half when the pandemic came.

Now as NGAP is trying to revive the program — with plans to go to Bacolod and Cebu — it is also taking on a different tack by tapping on women. Specifically mothers.