Last week it seemed like spring arrived early in Salt Lake this year and the unseasonably warm weather is a reminder that we should all play more golf. There are many reasons to enjoy the great game of golf — and here are a few:
Last week it seemed like spring arrived early in Salt Lake this year and the unseasonably warm weather is a reminder that we should all play more golf. There are many reasons to enjoy the great game of golf — and here are a few:
1. Golf is fun.
2. Golf is a GREAT form of exercise.
3. Golf lasts a lifetime.
4. Golf is therapeutic and a stress reliever (ironic, I know).
5. Golf gets us closer to nature.
6. Golf allows all players, regardless of ability, to play and compete with each other.
7. Golf builds character.
8. Golf reveals character.
9. Statistics show those who golf live longer.
10. Golf helps create lasting friendships (I met by best friend of 30-plus years on the golf course) and allows bonding opportunities for families.
Currently, only approximately 10 percent of people play golf. Reasons people primarily give for not playing golf (or playing more golf) vary from cost to play to the time it takes to play to the overall difficulty of the game.
Let’s tackle these issues one at a time:
I think the first obstacle to playing more golf people bring up is time. People just don’t have time to play. The fact that golf can be time- consuming is both a blessing (for those who have time) and a curse (for those who don’t).
Golf is traditionally an 18-hole game but I recommend and encourage people to view golf as a nine-hole game. Eighteen holes is wonderful when you have a day off, but the majority of your golf should be nine holes before or after work. Nine holes can be played in two hours. I remember a cartoon I once read and never forgot. A doctor is talking to his patient about the importance of exercise and he asks the patient who does not have the time to exercise, “What is better for your busy schedule, being dead 24 hours a day or exercising one hour a day?”
We need to be golfing nineholes three times a week and we NEED to be walking when we play. The average person will burn over 700 calories walking nine holes and have fun doing it. While the act of putting the ball in the hole might spike your blood pressure, the overall enjoyment of being outside and moving your body while enjoying time with friends and family will lower blood pressure and improve the quality of your life off the golf course.
Whether you play great or poorly, you will burn a lot of calories and move your body to better health. Currently in the United States, 63 percent of us are either overweight or obese. We are bombarded by drinks and snacks loaded with sugar and we are not getting anywhere near the activity we need. Humans are not designed to sit behind a desk all day and a television all night. Golf is one of the great answers to this problem.
The next issue people raise is the cost of the game. In Utah, we are blessed to have a number of great golf courses at an affordable rate. When we reduce our play from 18 holes to nine holes, we immediately cut the cost in half. When we take the cart rental out of the equation, we knock another 30 percent off the cost to play. Finally, when we shop wisely and buy a punch card, we save yet another 33 percent on green fees. So, to put cost into perspective, you can buy a double cheeseburger combo meal at Wendy’s or you can walk nine holes and enjoy a sport that will give back to you in immeasurable ways for a lifetime.
The third obstacle to playing more golf is the difficulty of the game. This is a valid point. Golf is a difficult game and the best things in life don’t come easy! It takes practice to develop the skill set which will allow you to really enjoy the game for a lifetime. But practicing is half the fun. The best thing a person can do is take golf lessons from a PGA professional. The good news is you don’t need to take lessons every week for the rest of your life. I play the piano and take lessons, and I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to weekly lessons.
With golf, a series or two of lessons to start will put you in a great position to play the game well and from there it’s just a checkup from time to time when your game falters. I would view the cost of lessons and their benefit to you over your lifetime. For instance, if you spent $500 on lessons to learn the game but then enjoyed the game for the next 40 years, how expensive were those lessons? The answer is a little less than 4 cents a day. In the last few years, is there anything you spent $500 on you wish you had back?
More people should be playing golf. There are 30 million people enjoying the game annually right now, which means there are over 270 million that are missing out big time. Let’s dust off those excuses, grab our spouse or ask a friend to join us and start walking, swinging and enjoying the outdoors for a lifetime. Our long-term health depends on it and I assure you a lifetime of great memories and friendships is waiting, too.
Paul Phillips is the PGA professional at Stonebridge Golf Club in West Valley City.