This is a blog I've been wanting to compile for a while now. With the Olympics behind us it was certainly one to remember for a number of reasons, especially for Team GB. It was a also a very memorable one for Golf and 'our man' Justin Rose, the first Olympic Gold medallist in Golf since Canada's George Lyon in the 1904 games. Without doubt, this has put golf more on the map with a wider audience, bringing the game to more people who have never even held a club before.
The purpose of this blog is to give my opinion to those who play and those who don't play as to why they should either continue to play for the rest of their lives or to take up the game they once thought would never be on their radar to even contemplate trying:
- You can make golf as expensive or as cheap as you like with regards to equipment and places you play.
- You burn around 1200 calories for 18 holes
- It's a great chance to socialise and meet new people and/or spend time with the people you know and love
- Every golf course you play is different and brings a whole new challenge....... variety is the spice of life
- You can play at any age and improve at any age
- It is a constant challenge which tests all of our abilities both physically and mentally
- It is the only sport where our playing partners and opponents give us advice to help us play better (doesn't always work but its the thought that counts)
- You can't hit a ball further in any other sport
- The satisfaction you get when you find the sweet spot of the club is like nothing else
- You can get very close up to the elite players of the game when you visit a tournament
- The conduct of golfers is exemplary with a shake of the hand after every round. whether you win or lose
- You can make it as simple as you want or as complicated as you want
- It's an individual game, you can't blame anyone else but yourself
- The scenery on a golf course is stunning. Even if the round isn't going well you can always take in your surroundings
- You can do a lot of business on the course
- You can walk the same fairways as the elite players
- the Ryder Cup is the most exciting event on the sporting calendar
- Purchasing a set of new clubs give you that 'fuzzy, warm' feeling
- Beating your previous personal best score is a remarkable accomplishment that makes us smile on our way home from the course
- Anyone can beat 'old man par' thanks to the handicap system
- Anyone can putt as well as the pro's
- No matter what level of player or coach, you will never stop learning more about the game that you didn't know
If you play, continue to play and try to improve, whatever age you are. If you have never picked up a club, I urge you to try it. You won't look back and you will be hooked on the greatest sport on Planet Earth!