Golf and its Growing Popularity

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[robjna]

The following is forwarded not to offend tennis, basketball, football or soccer fans. It is, rather, an attempt to put everything in its proper perspective.

Ever wonder why golf is growing in popularity and people who don't even play, go to tournaments or watch it on TV?

These truisms may shed some light.

Golf is an honorable game, with the overwhelming majority of players being honorable people who don't need referees.

Golfers don't have some of their players in jail every week.

Golfers don't scratch their privates on the golf course.

Golfers don't kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people.

Professional golfers are compensated in direct proportion to how well they play.

Golfers don't get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel between tournaments.

Golfers don't hold out for more money, or demand new contracts, because of another player's deal.

Professional golfers don't demand that the taxpayers pay for the courses on which they play.

When golfers make a mistake, nobody is there to cover for them or back them up.

The PGA Tour raises more money for charity in one year than the National Football League does in two.

You can watch the best golfers in the world up close, at any tournament, including the majors, all day, every day for $25 or $30.

The cost for a seat in the nosebleed section at the Super Bowl will cost around $300 U.S. or more.

You can bring a picnic lunch to the tournament golf course, watch the best in the world and not spend a small fortune on food and drink. Try that at one of the taxpayer funded baseball or football stadiums. I brought a Coke into Oriole Park at Camden Yard last year, and an usher came to my seat and told me I had to dispose of it, or I would not be allowed to stay in the stadium.

In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season, like the best baseball hitters(.300 batting average) do.

Golf doesn't change its rules to attract Fans.

Golfers have to adapt to an entirely new playing area each week.

Golfers keep their clothes on while they are being interviewed.

Golf doesn't have free agency.

In their prime, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and other stars, would shake your hand and say they were happy to meet you. In his prime, Jose Canseco wore T-shirts that read 'Leave Me Alone'.

You can hear birds chirping on the golf course during a tournament.

Ladies are welcome players.

At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name calling while you're hoping that no one spills beer on you.

Tiger Woods can hit a golf ball almost three times as far as Barry Bonds can hit a baseball.

Golf Courses don't ruin the neighborhood.

Finally, here's a slice of golf history I thought

Why do full-length golf courses have 18 holes, and not 20, or 10 or an even dozen?

During a discussion among the club's membership board at the venerable St. Andrews in 1858, one of the members pointed out that it takes exactly 18 shots to polish off a fifth of Scotch. By limiting himself to only one shot of Scotch per hole, the Scot figured a round of golf was finished when the Scotch ran out.

Now you know!

[KarlInOhio]

In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season, like the best baseball hitters(.300 batting average) do.

A typical pro golfer only gets his shot in the hole about 25% of the time.

[KellyAdmirer]

Golf is actually dwindling in popularity at this moment of history, though every sport goes through these swings.

[Mr. Mojo]

Why is golf growing in popularity? Two words:

Tiger Woods

[RightWhale]

Another thing: if the golf course has to close due to financial hardship, it can be made into an airstrip, a subdivision, a farm, or, best and highest use, a rifle range.

[Hugin]

And he isn't trying to hit something moving at 90 MPH, with people jeering him.

[4mycountry]

Ladies are welcome players.

Actually that wasn't always so. When the game was invented it was called "golf" as an acronym: Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. GOLF

[Blake#1]

"You hit the nail on the head"

[Blood of Tyrants]

At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words

Maybe not at a tournament but I know several people who really shouldn't play golf because it upstes them too badly.

NASCAR, the WWF of the 21st century.

[w_over_w]

The only time in recorded history that a golfer broke his leg was when a "Texas Aggie" fell off the ball-washer.

[SoothingDave]

Golf doesn't have free agency.

Golf is nothing other than free agents. Duh.

SD

[kelmerp]

Golf does have referees and even some of the biggest golfers have been caught cheeting ala Vijay Singh.

All sports go up and down, but overall, every sport has lost some popularity even with greater television time, quite simply beause there are so many choices available today and so many ways to spend you time and money.

Golfers aren't all honorable or nice and they do scratch themselves. Read up on John Daly: he's about as crass and disgusting as any athelete can be.

Golf does change its rulings over time, and so on...almost everything you said is wrong.

[Alberta's Child]

You can hear birds chirping on the golf course during a tournament . . . At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name calling while you're hoping that no one spills beer on you.

Golf and tennis are the only sports where fans are expected to make noise only at "approved" times during the event.

With all due respect to the author of this article, there's no reason to compare golf to football, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. Golf isn't even a sport, for crying out loud.

[hometoroost]

"At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name calling while you're hoping that no one spills beer on you."

Never followed Tiger around the course have you? Tiger has quite the mouth and the crowds at golf tournaments get louder, drunker, and more obnoxious ALL the time.

[w_over_w]

At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name calling while you're hoping that no one spills beer on you.

True, but when I marshalled the 13th at Woodlands CC (Shell Houston Open) back in 1987, the pros used language (when they three-putted) that would have parted a Marines hair. The 13th is an island green and I think they thought nobody could hear them. Damn those boys can cuss! Curtis Strange three putted, looked at his putter, called it a "pig f**king whore" and then shattered it on the edge of the foot-bridge. I love golf . . .

[Scenic Sounds]

I'm really glad that I discovered golf a few years back. I've had some really great times and met some really interesting people playing golf.

[PhilipFreneau]

I used to hate golf, until I started playing it.

[zarf]

Golf is great and I play it, but it is full of the most pretentious jerks I've ever met. You just have to laugh at the idiots who can barely play their way out of a sack yet have the most expensive equipment, talk the biggest game and curse the loudest when they screw up.

The club house/country club atmosphere is insufferable.

[Phantom Lord]

In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season, like the best baseball hitters(.300 batting average) do.

A typical pro golfer only gets his shot in the hole about 25% of the time.

That is a useless "statistic". In baseball, outside of the sac fly or sac bunt, every at bat is intended to achieve a base hit.

In golf, a small % of shots taken are actually intended to put the ball in the hole. And it is impossible to put the ball in the hole with a large portion of shots taken.

[socal_parrot]

This man is an avid golfer...

This man was arrested at a golf course...