What's Great About Golf

        Originally when I sat down to start writing this, I was going to speak about what changes are needed in golf and how the game can be improved.  That will probably still happen at some point, but I thought with so much negativity in the world today, we could all use something positive.

          Golf is the game of a lifetime.  It doesn’t matter when you start playing, you will be able to enjoy it for years longer than other sports.  If you walk the course, it is the perfect leisure exercise for your later years.

          Golf offers life lessons for children that are difficult to learn in other places.  Respect for elders, rules, integrity, and honor can be taught in school and other sports, but is most effective when children are integrated into golf.  Programs like The First Tee and their 9 core values help kids navigate life, even if they eventually leave the sport.  If nothing else, golf offers the opportunity to be outside the house competing in a fun activity.  With participation in all other children’s sports declining, golf is an activity with a long season which can provide hours of fun exercise for kids.

          Golf offers an opportunity to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes.  How many other sports can offer views of rocky ocean cliffs, desert, a calm lakeside, or snow-capped mountains while being played?  The answer is simple, few, if any.

          Golf creates friendships that and greatly improves your life outside of golf.  Seldom do we find ourselves in situations with people who can have wildly different backgrounds and still find the ability to become friends.  So long as each golfer is enjoying their round, it is difficult to not make friends while playing.

          Golf creates career opportunities.  The golf industry in the United States employs more than 1 million people and is worth more annually than the movie industry.  For those outside of golf, the networking offered by playing golf is unparalleled.  Where else do you get the opportunity to spend four hours of having unfettered access to a person that may be able to advance your career or make your next business idea a reality?

          Golf gives families the opportunity to learn a sport together.  What other sport is willing to teach a whole family to play at once?  Parents are not generally welcomed to learn how to hit a baseball alongside their young athletes.  In golf, it is encouraged that an entire family engage playing the game.  Other sports separate families from participating together based on age or gender,

          Golf provides educational opportunities to many young adults.  Scholarship foundations like the Ouimet, McDonough, and Evans programs offer caddies or employees of golf courses the opportunity to attend college at little or no cost.  No other sport offers this extensive of an opportunity to its most vulnerable participants. 

          Golf generates an enormous amount of money for charity.  There are countless charitable golf outings conducted throughout the United States each year, benefitting cancer research, diabetes wellness programs, educational programs, veteran’s affairs, and many other great causes.  The PGA Tour alone has donated over $2 billion to charity since 1972.

          Golf will teach you more about yourself and others than any other activity.  Few other sports require you to call a penalty on yourself.  No other activity can invoke the pure joy of a well-struck shot and the putrid aggravation of missing a short putt.  A person will have all their character flaws revealed on a golf course. 

          Golf can be played by anybody.  The game is constantly evolving to include more people from different demographics than the traditional middle to upper-class white male.  There are countless programs that are aimed to make disenfranchised groups feel welcome to the game.  Courses are changing their setups to become friendlier to women and children, Professionals are offering clinics to veterans and Special Olympics participants, and companies are making equipment that allows the physically handicapped to play the game.  The ability to walk is no longer a requirement for you to play golf.

          Golf is the perfect excuse to take a vacation with friends and create memories that will last a lifetime.  Who doesn’t want to spend time with friends at Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, or other resort destinations?  Regardless of how you play, you will recant stories of your adventures for weeks or years after returning.

          As you can see, golf creates boundless opportunities for fun to be had by people of all backgrounds, provides economic growth to communities, and endows charities throughout the world.  These are just some of the reasons that we should all make it a goal to play more golf in 2018.