What does golf mean to you?

You might get a kick out of this.  If you remove the “s” from golfers and type “golfer” into Wikipedia, it has to be one of the shortest articles in that compendium of information, only eight words:

“A golfer is a person who plays golf”.  However, and to be fair, in their definition of golfers (plural), they go into detail.

One of the points of interest to me was finding out from Wikipedia that the etymology of the word “golf” was not what I had heard it was.  I heard that it was originally taken from the acronym of “Gentleman Only, Ladies Forbidden” which they say is a myth.

They offer several explanations with perhaps more politically correct origins that I invite you to explore yourself on Wikipedia’s web site.

Depending on whose data you subscribe to, there are an estimated 50 to 61 million golfers worldwide and 30 to 37 million in the United States.  The USA also has about half the estimated 32,000 golf courses in the world at just under 18,000.

It is unclear how much money is actually spent on golf world wide, but in the USA alone, it’s over $30 billion annually: greens fees, practice range fees, food and beverage at golf facilities, golf equipment, apparel, accessories, and gifts, but not including travel associated with “destination golf”.  If you add travel, you could almost double that figure.  Needless to say, golf is popular!

I think that the online “go-to” source for instant information could have added a line that said, ”A golfer is a person who plays golf, and spends money”.  Just a thought.

What is also missing from Wikipedia is the mention of how much golf raises for charity each year.  The PGA alone passed the Billion Dollar mark in money raised for worthy causes back in 2005.

Local charities gain a good portion of their money raised each year form local events that range from church groups, fire and police department outings, to fundraising pro-am tournaments that dovetail into major events raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I think a mention could also be made of what the game means to kids.  Golf promotes many things you will not see on a scorecard, or industry bottom line summary, namely etiquette and sportsmanship. 

There are a number of ways in which golf is being introduced to the next generation of Tiger Woods hopefuls from The First Tee, to Hooked on Golf, to the countless local and after school programs run by local volunteers.  Also, many high schools still have a budget for a golf team, which helps many teenagers become proficient at the game and in some cases earn scholarships to college.

I suppose the fact that golf is one of the few games that is played and enjoyed in one’s old age could be added to Wikipedia.  There are examples of people in their 90’s still enjoying the game and I would not be surprised if there is someone over 100 somewhere “teeing up” as I write this.

Men and women as well as boys and girls enjoy golf.  It is a great way to get exercise and fresh air.  And, you will never hear someone say, ”A bad day getting audited is better than a good day on the golf course”.

Golf means a lot to many people.  In many ways, we may never fully understand why.  I suppose if you talk to a person that surfs as a hobby, they could go on and on about what it is like to catch the perfect wave and ride it all the way “hanging ten”, but if you have never done that, it is hard to appreciate exactly what that means.

The bottom line is if you are searching for the meaning of golf in Wikipedia remember to try a few different spelling combinations so you get a good idea of what it’s all about.

Practice, practice, practice…Enjoy Golf!

Ask us how Gotta-Grip can help improve your grip! 
Call today…877-462-1230 or contact us by e-mail.

See our products page where you can order your Gotta-Grip, and other great golf products.

Let us help you find a promotional distributor to get Gotta-Grip for your next golf outing. 
Call today…877-462-1230 or contact us by e-mail.