How True Are These Golf Stereotypes

To those who don’t play golf, there are many popular misconceptions that prevent them from coming anywhere near our game. 

For those of us who play this wonderful game it has to be said that there are areas of the sport that most of us would want to change. As a recent returnee to golf, I believe that this is as good a time as any to address a few of the issues surrounding the game and give my verdict on whether they are fact or fiction.

Golf is an Elite Sport

When the likes of Harry Vardon and Walter Hagen were dominating the professional game and picking up titles for fun they were not welcome in the clubhouse. In fact, they were not allowed to mingle with the members. It is not that long ago that many clubs refused to allow women to join their ranks. Muirfield was briefly banished from The Open rota because of its stance on women. 

Juniors were looked at as the lowest of the low, forced to play at times when nobody else was on the course. 

Thankfully, things have changed. At most clubs. In any sport there will always be a faction that looks down on the rank and file. And golf is no exception. There are still courses that many of us could not afford to join - and would not want to. 

But the truth is that social barriers have come crashing down. Turn up at any UK golf club now and just listen to the banter and you will quickly come to realise that golf today has become a sport of the people - and all the more so since the pandemic ended and a whole new audience came along.

Verdict: Fiction

Golf is a Game of Cliques

I am not so positive on this one. One of the most difficult things for anybody joining a golf club where they don’t know anybody is finding a way to break in. You will find that people already have their regular playing partners. I do not understand why new members are not given "buddies" to help them find their feet. It stands to reason that if a new member struggles to find people to play with then he or she is not going to stick with it for very long. This is a problem that has not been addressed and it needs to be. The trick is to track down the captain and get him to introduce you to like-minded people. If you don’t put yourself forward, golf can be a very lonely game.

Verdict: Fact

Golf is a Game For Old Farts

If you turn up for a midweek round at any club in the country you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a sport inhabited by ancient people. 

But stop and think about it for a moment - most of the men and women you see on the course are there because they have retired. And you should most definitely see this as a positive because it proves that golf, unlike many other sports, is a game you can play until you reach a ripe old age. 

But a game for old farts? No way.

Have you seen the way that youngsters who attend group lessons embrace the game? Have you seen the smiles on their faces when they make perfect contact? 

And while we are at it, have you watched how the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Nelly Korda play the game? Wouldn’t you want your son or daughter to follow in their footsteps?

It also has to be said that this is a game that is good for you, both physically and mentally. If you play 18 holes you will be taking around 14,000 steps, and that’s without taking into account the physical effort involved in actually striking a golf ball.

Verdict: Fiction

Golf is an Expensive Sport

Many people who might otherwise be tempted to start playing golf have the idea that it is a prohibitively expensive sport. Make no mistake - it can be. If you choose to do so, you can easily find yourself forking out £500 for a driver, £400 for a fairway wood, and hundreds more on hybrids, irons and a putter. You could easily spend £3,000 on a set of golf clubs. 

But if you are thinking about taking up the game for the first time you don’t have to spend anything like that sum. You can easily pick up a set of second-hand clubs for a fraction of that figure. If you later decide that golf is the game for you then you can update them.

And let’s address the cost of playing the game. 

Yes, you can easily end up paying in excess of £100 to play 18 holes, and that’s without taking into account anything you might spend on food and drink. But you can just as easily find courses that will charge you between £25-£40 for 18 holes and, as a beginner, offer just as much enjoyment. 

If you decide that you want to join a golf club you will have to pay an annual subscription. You can opt for a five-day or full membership and expect to pay anything between £750 and £1,500. Most courses will allow you to pay this by monthly direct debit. To put this is perspective, if you pay £1,000 per year it equates to less than £20 a week. By no stretch of the imagination can that be described as expensive.

Verdict: Fiction

Golf is a Summer Sport

It goes without saying that golf is best played in warm weather, with a blue sky and the sun shining brightly. But this is the UK and we have just experienced the wettest winter and spring that most of us can ever remember. And still many of us have been out there continuing to play the game that we love. Today’s waterproof clothing does what it says on the tin, meaning you can play in the rain - if your course is open. And thermal gloves, socks and other items of clothing mean it is possible to play in bitterly cold weather and remain nice and warm. 

There are plenty of golfers for whom golf is a summer sport, and that is absolutely fine. But it can be a 12-month game. The choice is yours.

Verdict: Fiction

Golf's Rules & Etiquette Are Complicated

Where to start? I have introduced several people to golf over the years and the thing I have always dreaded most is trying to explain the rules. 

Let’s face it, many of them are stark raving bonkers. 

How do you explain the difference between yellow and red stakes? How do you tell somebody that if they hit a perfect drive that ends up in a divot hole that they have to play the ball as it lies? How do explain where, when and why you can sometimes get free relief? 

How do you explain the stableford scoring system to somebody who has never played the game? Who do you explain that you cannot wear a collarless top on most courses when the world’s top professionals are allowed to do so? How do you explain that you have three minutes to look for a lost ball when almost everybody else takes 10 minutes? On and on it goes.

Verdict: Fact

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