I am not sure why some people find the need for golf to be modernised such as the darts new format, or Twenty20. Golf has a huge range of different formats all year round with team games, international competitions, individual tournaments and mixed-male/female tournaments. Having said that, it always has and always should be an heavily-based individual sport which pulls in large crowds across the World.
The areas of modernisation are desperately required at regional and local club level - I dare say there are still some Clubs which have men only bars and you can't wear socks lower than your ankle. Having said that, I was sat watching the DP Tour coverage at the weekend and found it incredible how the likes of Mark Roe and Richard Boxall still occupy a commentary box.
I don't care about darts, so can't comment on that, but 20/20 has really helped get more younger players involved, who also then go on to play one day and tests etc. It's not made the test standard any worse, and the overspill has made test cricket more attacking, which is far more entertaining than guiding the ball around at two an over.
I'm not even a fan of the 20/20 format, but some people like it, fair enough, the more the merrier, but nobody can deny that it's helped make test cricket more entertaining.
Club and regional level won't modernise on their own though, this has been proven, hopefully modernisation at the top has a trickle own effect, and it's certainly worth a try.
The way some old folk speak to younger folk at golf courses is a joke, never mind how they treat women etc, which has been painfully slow to change. It's things like that which stopped me bothering with any competitions etc. The atmosphere of it just doesn't sit well with me, and don't get me started on the ludicrous dress codes of some places. Same with the "posh" courses etc, it's just all so clicky.
To be honest I rarely watch golf as it bores the hell out of me on TV, love playing mind, but watching and playing are like two different things to me with golf, and no other sport is really like that (for me anyway).