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Golf and its Growing Popularity
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Posted on 08/29/2003 10:42:38 AM PDT by 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!


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: golf; sports
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To: Psycho_Bunny
To build a Muni in a major city these days would probably be pretty financially stupid. The cost of the land alone would would be absurd. Stadiums are much more logical choices. Even if it doesn't turn a profit, it's far more likely to.

If they were likely to, at least a handful would have. None have. And government has the one tool that private business doesnt. Force. They can just use eminent domain to get the land and keep their cost down.

121 posted on 08/29/2003 12:34:47 PM PDT by Phantom Lord (Distributor of Pain, Your Loss Becomes My Gain)
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To: Phantom Lord
>> Unless you are playing a very short course and hit every shot straight, you are walking far more than 5 miles. A 7,000 yard course is 4.35 miles and that is measured in perfectly staight and level distances and doesnt measure distance between tees. You go up, down, and sideways in your adventures on the course. I would put you at over 6 miles when all is said and done.

On the longer courses I agree. By taking into consideration some of the shorter courses I play I figured at least 5 miles.
122 posted on 08/29/2003 12:36:40 PM PDT by PhilipFreneau
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To: Phantom Lord
Apologies. Mentally substituted revenues for benefits.

In the end, that's the central argument regarding the construction of any major public structure like a stadium, Increased Tax Revenues v. Benefits to the City. Fortunately, more cities and teams are working out alternate deals when it comes to new stadium construction. Pacific Bell Park was financed privately, and the new baseball parks in St. Louis and Boston will be more privately financed than publically, which is definitely a step in the right direction. Any city that would 100% finance and build a stadium for a professional sports franchise is foolish.

123 posted on 08/29/2003 12:39:47 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Grando Calrissian
True, but that's because no city 100% operates a stadium facility the same way it operates a golf course.

I know, I can never find the beer cart when I want one. And that filing in one foursome every ten minutes delays the game quite a bit.

124 posted on 08/29/2003 12:39:55 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Protagoras
A more logical choice would be for government to stay out of the entertainment business altogether.

Well....that sort of goes without saying but, as the people of Seattle discovered, it's all but completely impossible to keep government out of the stadium business.

When the city was contemplating building the new Mariners stadium, the bond went up for public vote and the people of Seattle voted the bond down.

Then the State Legislature stepped in and issued the bond anyway...forcing a Seattle tax increase to pay for it.

And when the time came for a bond vote on the Seahawks Stadium, the issue was put on the State-wide ballot, instead of the County ballot.

Once again, King County/Seattle voted it down....but the rest of the State passed it.

And Seattle, once again, is paying for it.

125 posted on 08/29/2003 12:40:08 PM PDT by Psycho_Bunny
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To: Phantom Lord
Phantom Lord, you are a racist, liar and idiot.

IMHO.
126 posted on 08/29/2003 12:40:30 PM PDT by stevestras
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To: Grando Calrissian
Any city that would 100% finance and build a stadium for a professional sports franchise is foolish.

Not to mention socialistic.

127 posted on 08/29/2003 12:42:07 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Protagoras
You're lucky, the muni in Oakland allows fivesomes, and the beer is always Coors and always 72 degrees.
128 posted on 08/29/2003 12:44:30 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Protagoras
People will do strange things when they're being blackmailed.
129 posted on 08/29/2003 12:46:10 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Phantom Lord
Its gotta be less than 500 yards. Daly couldnt hit it that far no matter how many times he tried.

It took him 2 or 3 shots to do it. Even if not super long, it was a good publicity stunt for whatever he was hawking.

SD

130 posted on 08/29/2003 12:46:11 PM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Psycho_Bunny
And Seattle, once again, is paying for it.

Too bad they don't all vote as a block and unelect the socialists who forced it upon them. Then they should vote a state constitutional amendment to prevent their government from doing things beyond the scope of their true purpose.

131 posted on 08/29/2003 12:46:54 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Grando Calrissian
You're lucky, the muni in Oakland allows fivesomes, and the beer is always Coors and always 72 degrees.

You like warm beer?

SD

132 posted on 08/29/2003 12:46:57 PM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: SoothingDave
It took him 2 or 3 shots to do it.

I hit it 500 yds all the time in three shots, sometimes in two. :^}

133 posted on 08/29/2003 12:47:56 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: SoothingDave
I didn't think I was praising my situation. Selling warm Coors should carry a heavier sentence than selling heroin.
134 posted on 08/29/2003 12:49:10 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Grando Calrissian
I meant in stadiums if they were run like golf courses. I guess I wiffed in making that clear.
135 posted on 08/29/2003 12:49:36 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Grando Calrissian
Selling warm Coors should carry a heavier sentence than selling heroin.

I think they should have the same sentence, zero. But that for a different thread.

136 posted on 08/29/2003 12:50:57 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Grando Calrissian
Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were saying the weather was nice and I was joking that the beer was 72 degrees. Little did I know you were serious. ;-)

SD

137 posted on 08/29/2003 12:51:36 PM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Grando Calrissian
People will do strange things when they're being blackmailed.

When people are being blackmailed they turn into socialists?

138 posted on 08/29/2003 12:52:22 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Protagoras
I'm pretty dense.
139 posted on 08/29/2003 12:52:32 PM PDT by Grando Calrissian
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To: Grando Calrissian
I'm pretty dense.

LOL, so are the trees I usually have to play my second shot from.

140 posted on 08/29/2003 12:53:51 PM PDT by Protagoras (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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