From a business/ratings standpoint, professional golf seemed to reach the peak of its popularity back in the late 1990s -- and I suspect it's been in decline ever since.
The New York area newspapers used to have stories back then about people who would get up at the crack of dawn -- or even sleep in their cars in the parking lot -- to get a good weekend tee time at public courses. I don't hear stories like that anymore.
Since January 20, 2001 they have been reluctant to admit that people can actually afford to play golf.
Of course Tiger isn't the huge draw that he was a decade ago, but that's not unusual. Someone else will come along. Golf went through the end of the 70's, all of the 80's and most of the 90's without a dominant player who "drew" interest to the sport the way Palmer and Nicklaus had in the past, and then Tiger came along in 1997 and changed everything. Sometime in the future, the next one will come along.
Now, you have to get into a lottery for practice round tickets. Before the lottery, this town was crawling with fans waiting to see the pros. Now? ...forget it.
The year you heard that story was when they held the US Open at Beth Page State Park, the Black Course. In 2 years (I think) it will be held there again, and you will again here about the line of cars parked over night. Just because the MSM doesn't report it, doesn't mean it's not happening.
Foursomes at one course in NJ would have one of their group spend the night so they could get on. My husband would go as a single and get there about 7am and could always play.
This was a public course. Don't you think it depends on how many public courses are available? NJ built a lot of new courses since then so spending the night is probably not needed now.
Here in the South new courses are popping up all over the place.