What makes golf so great?

We could go back and forth on which sports are the most popular, which requires the most talent, and which one is ultimately the most important. Golf is the most important sport. It may be surprising–you may not agree–but for millions of people around the world, this is the reality. 

Golf is one of the only sports without referees. Players are forced to be honest and call penalties on themselves. It is a sport of honor–young players are taught virtue and shown the path to becoming an honorable person as set by the guidelines of American society. Those who fall short not only face grating reparations to their team, but to themselves. This, of course, can only be summed up in the game’s favorite saying: “You’re only cheating yourself.” 

What does golf represent to people? It’s far more than just an activity to get away from your troubles or a time to destress. It’s a way to build a real relationship with whomever you’re playing with, regardless if you know them or not. Golf forces you to be social and connect with others. It’s has allowed me to become closer to my boss. It is a time for sons and daughters to bond with parents, aunts, and uncles, and so much more. That is what’s so great about it: golf requires no age and has no set physical abilities. You can play it from the time you can walk until the day you die. It requires just a club, a ball, and a hankering for a good time. Some say this makes it a game and not a sport, but if becoming a sport means losing all that makes it great, then golf is a game–fine by me. 

Being awarded captain of the Scituate Golf Team was a huge honor for me. I get the chance to lead by example and teach the game I love to the All-Stars and captains of the future. But it means more than that. Along with the title, comes a duty: turn these kids into honorable young men. If you fail, you fail the future of the sport, which can be a tough idea to grasp sometimes, but it is the reality of the game. 

Remember, any sport can teach you how to “be a man.” But no other sport can teach you self-honesty and virtue quite like golf.