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Golf
The following is forwarded not to offend tennis, basketball, football or soccer
fans. It is, rather, an attempt to put everything in its proper perspective.
Ever wonder why golf is growing in popularity and people who don't even play go
to tournaments or watch it on TV? These truisms may shed light on reasons why.
Golf is an honorable game, with the overwhelming majority of players being
honorable people who don't need referees.
Golfers don't have some of their players in jail every week.
Golfers don't kick dirt on, or throw bottles at, other people.
Professional golfers are compensated in direct proportion to how well they play.
Golfers don't get per diem and two seats on a charter flight when they travel
between tournaments.
Golfers don't hold out for more money, or demand new contracts, because of
another player's deal.
Professional golfers don't demand that the taxpayers pay for the courses on
which they play.
When golfers make a mistake, nobody is there to cover for them or back them up.
The PGA Tour raises more money for charity in one year than the National
Football League does in two.
You can watch the best golfers in the world up close, at any tournament,
including the majors, all day, every day for $25 or $30. The cost for a seat in
the nosebleed section at the Super Bowl will cost around $300 or more.
You can bring a picnic lunch to the tournament golf course, watch the best in
the world and not spend a small fortune on food and drink. Try that at one of
the taxpayer funded baseball or football stadiums.
In golf you cannot fail 70% of the time and make $9 million a season, like the
best baseball hitters (.300 batting average) do.
Golf doesn't change its rules to attract fans.
Golfers have to adapt to an entirely new playing area each week.
Golfers keep their clothes on while they are being interviewed.
Golf doesn't have free agency.
In their prime, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and other stars, would shake your
hand and say they were happy to meet you. In his prime Jose Canseco wore
T-shirts that read "Leave Me Alone."
You can hear birds chirping on the golf course during a tournament.
At a golf tournament, (unlike at taxpayer-funded sports stadiums and arenas) you
won't hear a steady stream of four letter words and nasty name calling while
you're hoping that no one spills beer on you.
Tiger Woods can hit a golf ball three times as far as Barry Bonds can hit a
baseball.
Golf Courses don't ruin the neighborhood.
This is a slice of golf history I thought you might enjoy. I never knew why
there were 18 holes before this. Why do full-length golf courses have 18 holes,
and not 20, or 10 or an even dozen? How many of you golfers know the answer to
this one?
During a discussion among the club's membership board at St. Andrews in 1858,
one of the members pointed out that it takes exactly 18 shots to polish off a
fifth of Scotch. By limiting himself to only one shot of Scotch per hole, the
Scot figured a round of golf was finished when the Scotch ran out.
Now you know.
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