Hole In One from 208 Yards
Man I Love This Game!

Fundamentally, golf is a game!  I know this is a profound statement, but it really is just a game.  I realize that this blasphemous statement does not sit well with many of you, however it is important to take stock of why we play.

Take me for instance, I have played golf for 35+ years.  I have had many ups and downs throughout my golfing days.  My game has  continued to evolve and I can honestly say that I still have plenty to things to learn.  So what drives me to continue, to push the edge, to challenge myself….the love of the game.  I love the competition (both in tournaments and against myself on regular days), the social aspect of playing, learning from my fellow competitors and hoping for that one perfect shot….the elusive hole in one.

Many golfers may not look at golf this way.  They look at the game of what they cannot do…not what they can do.  They see the negative aspects of a bogey instead of the positive view that it could have been worse.  A positive attitude will drive every golfer to great successes and real appreciation for the game.

An article in the New York Times outlines some very good aspects of why we play golf.  The following is from that article:  “Does being a golfer mean enduring clumsy embarrassment? Well, yes, it does sometimes, but that wasn’t the point. Being a golfer is to join a tribe with an elaborate set of tenets and canons, one with its own mores and protocols and no definable mission other than to chase a little ball into a hole.

It is a silly game, somewhat childish, a good walk spoiled, as Mark Twain said. It is all those things. So why do we love this game?

The allure of golf is its simplicity, which leads to a thousand complexities. It is sophisticated because it is subtle. It is perfect because it is wholly and forever imperfect.

I once asked David Duval, a British Open champion, what made golf so difficult and yet so appealing. He said, “It’s all the time to think between shots.”

I asked the great Phil Mickelson the same question and he said, “It’s all the choices you have.”

I asked Jack Nicklaus and he replied, “Because you must master so many elements, including yourself.”

I asked the golf commentator and author David Feherty and he said, “Because it’s a ridiculous game and it’s our fault for playing it.”

There you have it.  Golf means something different to everyone.  I can say that the reasons for playing golf over the years has morphed.  Now, I play to enjoy the walk, talk to my friends (old and new), and challenge myself hitting a little white ball into a hole.  I am a grateful golfer!

What to you love about Golf?