National Golf Day commenced today with representatives from the WE ARE GOLF coalition visiting Capitol Hill to share the economic benefits of the great game of golf. While I may be a little late to the party with this post being so late in the evening, I still thought I would write a few thoughts on why golf is so important to me. I received an email last week from a media representative from WE ARE GOLF asking me to join in on the social conversation which I wanted to make sure I followed through with. So here we go.
For me, golf is so most important to me because it gives me so much quality time with my dad. He is my regular playing partner and the one I tee it up with the most. The one thing I truly missed was never getting the chance to play with my grandpa, PaPa. He passed away when I was 1-year old but my dad has always shared with me how much PaPa loved golf. He was the one who taught my dad the game and my dad has passed it on to me. One quick story. Late in 2012 my dad and I were playing in a two-person scramble out at Fort Sam Houston Golf Club here in San Antonio. Fort Sam Houston is a military base in San Antonio and has one of the largest National Cemeteries in the United States. So one of the holes on Fort Sam Houston Golf Club runs parallel to the portion of the cemetery where PaPa is buried. Well my dad and I were playing that hole and we just butchered the hole in a bad way. It was that one hole that we just blew up on. Well my dad made the comment to me while we were on the green that PaPa is probably over there laughing his ass off at us because we played that hole so bad. It was just an awesome comment for my dad to make with PaPa’s grave site so close to the green. So that is why golf is so important to me and I hope I am able to share with my new son just how awesome golf is.
So enough about me, I want to get to a little background on WE ARE GOLF. This is the sixth year the coalition has held National Gold Day which was established to bring attention to the many economic benefits of the game of golf. It seems some of our “esteemed” elected officials misunderstood this great game of golf and the benefits associated with playing the game. Here is a short introduction straight from the WE ARE GOLF press release:
WE ARE GOLF was formed four years ago, in part because it had become clear the industry was misunderstood by too many elected officials. Longstanding perceptions of the game simply didn’t square with the facts. By focusing on the nearly two million Americans whose livelihoods are tied to golf, WE ARE GOLF has leveled the playing field for the thousands of small businesses that make up the industry.
As a result, golf is no longer being excluded from important legislation. Members of Congress now better understand the myriad benefits the game brings to their communities.
The nearly two million U.S. jobs generated by the $69 billion golf industry, and its vast economic reach, are at the core of WE ARE GOLF’S message. Given the scope and pace of federal government activity and the impact on small businesses, the golf industry can play a vital role as policymakers continue efforts to boost employment and get the nation’s economy back on track. Beyond better demonstrating golf’s profound economic clout, WE ARE GOLF illustrates the industry’s health and wellness benefits, its unparalleled charitable giving, and its environmental sustainability initiatives.
As you can read above, golf has many far reaching economic benefits. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the infographic below which lays it out in cold-hard numbers:
If you get a chance, go visit WE ARE GOLF and join in on the push to help make this game so much better!
Alan Stransman says
I still think back on the days when I caddied for my dad. He was an early riser and always had the first tee time – at 0600 on a Sunday morning. I remember how it felt when he shook me awake at about 5. I was half-asleep the rest of the day.
Dave says
I feel like a bad golfer I didn’t know We Are Golf exists, great infographic there on just how important golf is to the community.