Recent figures have shown that participation in the sport for people aged between 16 and 25 years of age almost halved from 2009 to 2013.
And McIlroy, who enjoyed a stellar 2014 in winning two majors and the Ryder Cup with Europe, believes something should be done to make golf a more popular game with the next generation.
"Everything's so instant now and everyone doesn't have as much time as they used to," the Northern Irishman told BBC Radio Four.
"So you maybe try some way of speeding the game up.
"People enjoy watching the game but gone are the days that you could spend five or six hours on a golf course.
"I don't think they [the authorities] would be against it, especially if they wanted to get participation levels up.
"I don't think they need to alter tournament-play formats, I think that works very well. It's the grass roots - definitely not at our level.
"I feel as though I've inspired a lot of kids back home in Northern Ireland to pick up the game and play.
"Hopefully I can continue to do that beyond Northern Ireland because it's a great game.
"It's given me a lot and I've loved every minute of it and I know if more people pick up the game they'll love it too."