Why Golf?

Golf is by no stretch of the imagination, an easy game. You have to navigate your way across large stretches of land hitting a ball, with no sense of direction, in the direction of a hole that seems to get smaller, the closer you get to it. That clearly wasn’t enough of a challenge, so someone added trees, bunkers, water, slopes, various lengths of velkro grass and then given a set of different angled clubs, that seem to aid even more in the balls lack of direction. Then the golfing gods decided to add their bit by throwing in some swirling winds, unwelcomed rain with a dose of lightning thrown in now and then, and some unnecessary bad luck, to keep their sense of humour satisfied.

So why do we do this week in, week out? Because we manage to navigate one of those holes just right. The drive is smashed straight down the middle of the fairway, that drive is followed up by a majestic shot which is struck out the sweet spot of an iron, and calculated to the right distance, as it lands on the green pin high, just a couple feet from the hole. You read the slope, stroke the ball with confidence and drain the putt for birdie and there’s a cheer of respect from your other playing partners. In that perfect moment, it dawns on us, this game is easy and I finally have the wildling tamed. We then believe it can be done on every hole and we try our utmost to repeat that moment and spend the rest of our lives chasing that high, knowing we have it in us…somewhere.

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” -Arnold Palmer