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Golf & Happy Meals
Not at all related
By ED TRAVIS
Not at all related
By ED TRAVIS
Following on the heels of the
news the great city of San
Francisco has outlawed
McDonalds’ Happy Meals the
next item in my in-basket was
information from the World Golf
Foundation (WGF). It seemed to
be an interesting juxtaposition
of topics; dealing with
overweight youngsters living by
the Bay and the state of golf in
America.
news the great city of San
Francisco has outlawed
McDonalds’ Happy Meals the
next item in my in-basket was
information from the World Golf
Foundation (WGF). It seemed to
be an interesting juxtaposition
of topics; dealing with
overweight youngsters living by
the Bay and the state of golf in
America.
I’m not trying to draw any parallels or expound deep
philosophical truths. It just struck me as one of those odd
bits of life’s randomness.
The WGF does many things to promote the game not of
least of which is the industry-wide forum Golf 20/20, Get
Golf Ready to develop new players and the We Are Golf
program to improve the image and visibility of golf with
government and regulatory bodies.
And of course, there are the two best known WGF
projects; The First Tee and the World Golf Hall of Fame in
St. Augustine, Fla. All this is funded by the PGA of America,
the PGA Tour, other golf related organizations and
numerous corporate donors such as Shell Oil plus
contributions from individuals. The WGF is in the midst of
a fund raising campaign soliciting corporations for money
to run these programs which arguably have done and in
the future will do as much for the health of the game as
anything done by any other organization.
As part of the information used in the campaign literature
there were some golf and the golf industry facts many if
not most golfers don’t know. So the next time you need to
win a barroom wager or silence some know-it-all
spouting off, you can as the great American philosopher
Archie Bunker once said, tell him to “Stifle it.”
philosophical truths. It just struck me as one of those odd
bits of life’s randomness.
The WGF does many things to promote the game not of
least of which is the industry-wide forum Golf 20/20, Get
Golf Ready to develop new players and the We Are Golf
program to improve the image and visibility of golf with
government and regulatory bodies.
And of course, there are the two best known WGF
projects; The First Tee and the World Golf Hall of Fame in
St. Augustine, Fla. All this is funded by the PGA of America,
the PGA Tour, other golf related organizations and
numerous corporate donors such as Shell Oil plus
contributions from individuals. The WGF is in the midst of
a fund raising campaign soliciting corporations for money
to run these programs which arguably have done and in
the future will do as much for the health of the game as
anything done by any other organization.
As part of the information used in the campaign literature
there were some golf and the golf industry facts many if
not most golfers don’t know. So the next time you need to
win a barroom wager or silence some know-it-all
spouting off, you can as the great American philosopher
Archie Bunker once said, tell him to “Stifle it.”
The golf industry is larger than the movie and video
business; spectator sports and the performing arts; and
the newspaper business…which given the financial
condition of my old industry the print media, is not
surprising. Golf businesses pay $61 billion in wages to 2
million employees with a direct economic impact of $76
billion per year and $195 billion considering the direct,
indirect and induced impacts.
Charities receive $3.5 billion annually from golf fund
raising events which includes $135 million raised by
professional events on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and
other pro circuit events (figures are for 2008). These are
numbers no other sport or leisure activity can come within
shouting distance of matching and are another sign of the
character of the people in golf.
As an aside – the pecking order in American pro and
amateur sports seems to place golf somewhere behind
auto racing but ahead of bowling. This nose-in-the-air
attitude especially in the non-golf sports media I think
comes from the old argument, “golf is not a sport but a
pastime,” and that many of the sweat sock snobs who
mouth and write that kind of drivel are really failed and/or
frustrated nose tackles.
business; spectator sports and the performing arts; and
the newspaper business…which given the financial
condition of my old industry the print media, is not
surprising. Golf businesses pay $61 billion in wages to 2
million employees with a direct economic impact of $76
billion per year and $195 billion considering the direct,
indirect and induced impacts.
Charities receive $3.5 billion annually from golf fund
raising events which includes $135 million raised by
professional events on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and
other pro circuit events (figures are for 2008). These are
numbers no other sport or leisure activity can come within
shouting distance of matching and are another sign of the
character of the people in golf.
As an aside – the pecking order in American pro and
amateur sports seems to place golf somewhere behind
auto racing but ahead of bowling. This nose-in-the-air
attitude especially in the non-golf sports media I think
comes from the old argument, “golf is not a sport but a
pastime,” and that many of the sweat sock snobs who
mouth and write that kind of drivel are really failed and/or
frustrated nose tackles.
There are about 27 million golfers
and almost 16,000 golf facilities in
the U.S.
78 percent of golf is played on
public courses and 72 percent of
courses are accessible to the
public.
and almost 16,000 golf facilities in
the U.S.
78 percent of golf is played on
public courses and 72 percent of
courses are accessible to the
public.
According to the WGF information playing a round of golf
(presumably walking) has the same health benefits of a
45-minute workout and has the added benefit of not
having to look at a bunch of overweight guys in Spandex.
Not the same aerobic benefits maybe as a full-court one-
on-one session with Dwight Howard but not bad for
skinny-armed office workers.
Golf course turf is a remarkably good filter for control of
water runoff and flooding while course areas not in play
(for some of us at least) are quality habitat for wildlife and
plants.
And finally a biggy – golf courses, contrary to some reports
in the media (written by people who should know better),
are not water hogs; they account for only one-half of one
percent of the country’s water consumption.
So there you have it. Be the ‘expert’ in your foursome, the
terror of know-it-alls and a promoter and supporter of the
game we love with these facts. You will be doing the
World Golf Foundation, the game and yourself a lot of
good.
(presumably walking) has the same health benefits of a
45-minute workout and has the added benefit of not
having to look at a bunch of overweight guys in Spandex.
Not the same aerobic benefits maybe as a full-court one-
on-one session with Dwight Howard but not bad for
skinny-armed office workers.
Golf course turf is a remarkably good filter for control of
water runoff and flooding while course areas not in play
(for some of us at least) are quality habitat for wildlife and
plants.
And finally a biggy – golf courses, contrary to some reports
in the media (written by people who should know better),
are not water hogs; they account for only one-half of one
percent of the country’s water consumption.
So there you have it. Be the ‘expert’ in your foursome, the
terror of know-it-alls and a promoter and supporter of the
game we love with these facts. You will be doing the
World Golf Foundation, the game and yourself a lot of
good.