By JP Graham | Reporter
Golf is a sport that does more than it is given credit for. People of all ages enjoy it, yet it still seems to be overlooked for its advantages. It helps develop a multitude of relationships, can serve as a distraction from the stresses of everyday life and helps people stay active in an enjoyable way.
This is coming from someone who grew up around the sport and began playing at the age of 9. My whole family enjoys the sport, and we frequently spent our spring Sunday evenings either around the TV watching the final round of that week’s tournament, or out on the golf course playing until the sun went down.
Most people did not have similar golf experiences as I did growing up, but experience has no effect on one’s ability to develop relationships on the golf course. Whether it’s for a business outing or family time, golf takes electronic devices away from our attention and allows people to build intentional relationships with one another.
In a business outing, golf creates situations through competition that the work space cannot, strengthening critical relationships. Games such as “wolf” and “best ball” create situations that require teamwork between players and allow for healthy competition.
Playing golf with family and friends is one of the most satisfying things to do. These are the people we are most comfortable with, but also the ones that experience the most disconnect from one another due to phones and other devices. Taking the time to fully invest in the round or game at hand connects families and friends because you root for one another.
My favorite reason to play golf is the purpose it serves in distracting me from the stresses of everyday life. Different approaches and game plans quickly fill a golfer’s head when stepping onto a golf course because of the difficulty of the sport.
Golf holes are designed to give players trouble. They can be as long as 600 yards, have water, sand, hills and trees, before even taking into consideration the slopes of the holes or what the wind is like. With these obstacles staring you down 18 times in a row, it does not allow for much thought on anything else other than golf.
Because golf is a game that cannot be perfected, it attracts people that enjoy challenging themselves. Former athletes can use their work ethic from prior seasons to develop their golf game further.
Staying active is something that gets more difficult as we get older, and I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t enjoy going for a run. Golf is an alternative that people enjoy, though the time commitment does run over four hours. To keep from taking longer than what’s needed, rangers have been implemented to patrol the course and make sure players keep up their pace of play.
The average PGA Tour golf course length is 7,001 yards. This averages out to be 3.98 miles per 18 holes. Throw in the elevation changes that frequent golf courses, along with carrying a bag, you will certainly be tired by the end of your round.
Golf has taught me how to be patient. I’ve been playing golf for 13 years of my life, and I still make numerous mistakes on the golf course. One good shot can make me appreciate all of the work that I have put into the sport, and a later one could make me want to go home that very moment.
Golf is a game you cannot perfect. Because the scoring is a culmination of all 18 holes, one can only help to better their score one shot at a time. Because of the complexity of the golf swing, mistakes are often made and bring people back for more.
Golf is a lifelong sport, so there isn’t any rush to getting started. You’ll just be missing out on all of the advantages, so don’t wait too long.
