Now that Thanksgiving is tomorrow I thought it is a good time to talk about some things we golfers should be thankful for. There are many things but a few stick out at the top. Of course, these are things I am also grateful for daily as a golfer and you should be too.
At the top is golfers should be thankful for the ability to play golf. Regardless of your skill level, the ability to get out and play this game alone is a good enough reason to be thankful. There are many people who can not afford to play this great game. There are still many that have not been introduced to or have access to this great game. Lastly, there are many who can not play this great game due to physical limitations or disabilities. The simple fact that we can get out on the golf course and play at all, whether we shoot 65 or 105, is reason enough to be thankful.
Next on the list is the exercise we get while playing golf. Even if you ride in a golf cart you still walk a good bit, especially to the green of every hole. Walking is good exercise and good for your heart. If you like to walk the golf course that is even better but either way you are getting in some exercise. If you walk a 7,000-yard golf course that is the equivalent of just under 4 miles. That, of course, is if you walked it in a straight line and does not include walking across fairways to those errant shots or across a green and back again. If you take a cart and only walk up to the green of each hole depending on how much you walk around the green you can walk between 1/2 to a full mile. We should all be thankful golf allows us the opportunity to get some good exercise in even if it is minimal.
Being out in nature is another one I am personally thankful for. There are not many sports that you can play that intertwine with nature the way golf does. You can enjoy nature's beauty while spending approximately 4 hours on a golf course. Depending on the state you play golf you can see a variety of nature from alligators to deer, swamps to mountains.
Lastly, we should all be thankful for the opportunities golf has granted us. To put this into perspective here is my personal experience of the opportunities golf has given me. Golf has allowed me to meet many great people. Playing golf has given me the opportunity to meet many people and build a network I may not have otherwise made without golf. Some have been great business connections that have introduced me to great opportunities as well. Many I consider very good friends now. You never know who you may meet on a golf course or who you may have the privilege of meeting. Some have been governors, senators, and fortune 500 CEOs. Many however have been athletes and actors. As a further example of this here is a small list of just some of the athletes and actors I have met because of golf.
Curtis Bayham - NFL Lance Berkman - MLB Marshall Faulk - NFL Tom Felton - Actor John Forcade - NFL John Goodman - Actor Kelly Gibson - PGA Tour Willie Green - Current Pelicans Coach Nicole Hage - LPGA Tour Eric Hill - NFL Joe Horn - NFL Maurice Hurst - NFL Trevor - Immelman - PGA Tour Ricky Jackson - NFL | Deuce - McCallister - NFL Rocco - Mediate - PGA Tour David - Morse - Actor Chris Paul - NBA Byron Scott - NBA Coach Jason Smith - NBA John Smoltz - MLB Steve Stricker - PGA Tour Zack Strief - NFL Ron Swoboda - MLB Pierre Thomas - NFL David Toms - PGA Tour Kyle Turley - NFL Casey Whittenberg - PGA Tour |
Golf is truly a great game. Whether you just want more exercise, meet new people, or use golf to entertain business clients the opportunities are near endless for how golf can help. Opportunities are there if you look for them and are thankful for all golf does for you.
Comments