Golf is an integral part of American culture
The best golfers in the world are competing for the right to slide on the iconic Green Jacket at Augusta National, a scene that has become infamous in sports — yes, I said sports. What is a sport anyway? The Oxford Dictionary says a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
Golf is a sport not only because it meets the dictionary definition but also because it is an integral part of our culture. All over the world, so many people — myself included — would find their weekends undeniably worse without golf.
At its core, golf has the same goal as many other sports: getting a ball into a hole. Golf was born in Scotland before the 15th century. In 1744, the first attempt to codify golf’s rules was made, and over the next 100 years, golf clubs across the world adopted the “Thirteen Articles.” Most non-believers argue that golf doesn’t require physical assertion or skill. It should be clarified that playing golf well requires both. Driving around in a golf cart while drinking a beer and shanking every one of your shots is … well, that’s your problem, not a golf problem.
Professional golfers spend hours in the gym, and on the range and putting green to perfect their game. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s best golfer, released a training schedule ahead of last year’s Masters that focused on endurance. Legendary Gary Player still plays regularly at age 88, which he largely credits to a rigorous, lifelong exercise regimen.
Not only does playing 18 holes of golf require walking upward of 7 miles — which professional players do four times during a single tournament — but golf is a unique mental challenge. Reigning U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark spoke about seeking a sports psychologist on the most recent season of “Full Swing.” It’s straightforward for professional golfers to get in their heads, and golf being a solo sport means there’s no one to come to your rescue; it’s just you and the course.
Finally, it’s impossible to classify golf as anything other than a sport because of its entertainment value. Golf is one of the most-watched, popular sports worldwide with a distinct dedicated fanbase and unique culture, reaching 123 million people annually in the United States. The culture around golf is hard to describe, which I discovered going to tournaments with my dad as a kid.
There is nothing in the world like Augusta National. I’ll never forget the childlike excitement in my dad’s eyes when we attended a practice round in 2010 when Phil Mickelson would ultimately shrug on his third Green Jacket. Everyone on the course seemed to inherently understand that they were part of something bigger, enthusiasm quieting to complete silence when a player stepped up to the tee — even during a practice round.
I was only 12 at the time, but that day will forever live in my memory as one of the best days with my dad — the man who introduced me to the game of golf in our small Pennsylvania town and took me to PGA and LPGA tournaments all over the East Coast.
Later, in 2010, at the Women’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Pa., my dad and I briefly met golf’s greatest icon, Arnold Palmer. Now perhaps best known by non-golfers as a beverage, Arnie won a whopping 62 tournaments on the PGA Tour. Watching him sign autographs, my dad paused just long enough to garner Arnie’s attention and exclaimed, “Hi, Mr. Palmer!” That day was pure joy for my dad and me — especially since my favorite golfer, Paula Creamer, took home the hardware that Sunday.
I could rattle off numbers all day about why golf is a sport, but the truth is, the love of any sport is bigger than words on a page. It’s about the moments we share with the ones we love, watching the best athletes in the world compete for a title. During the Masters, the biggest week in golf, I hope the sport allows kids like me all over the country to bond with their dads like I have with mine.