The Golfing Community

Despite the cultural and social changes from generation to generation, the community of golfers has stayed true to the basic tenets of the game. By the way, these ‘tenets’ are different than the actual rules of how to play golf. Not a lot of other sports have a set of spoken (and unspoken) rules of etiquette, along with a separate set of rules of how to play. However, the golfing community not only welcomes this fact about this sport, but sees it as a defining point about the game that has remained a constant in the face of certain social and cultural influences over the past couple of centuries.

The basic tenets of the game of golf are not really the official rules of the game, but a tried and true form of etiquette that the community of golfers has followed for generations. While it is of course important to play by the rules, like any other sport, golf etiquette is what the traditions of golf are really all about. These tenets of golf are the “traditions and standards of behavior [which] make it easier for [golfing] community members to know which practices are acceptable and which are not” (87-8). This set of expectations also offers a sense of stability to those within the golfing community. The mention of just some of the rules of golf etiquette shows how the ideals of respect and courtesy are integral to the game of golf. For example, there are etiquette rules to “never hold up other golfers” and “start the game on time, in the proper order.”

Another one of these courtesy rules is the “do not do anything to disrupt the performance of another golfer taking a shot.” There are also rules of respect that actually refer to respect of the course, as well as the golfers coming from behind. These are the ones that request the golfer to replace divots they created, and preferably any others they come across, along with smoothly raking-out any sand traps the golfer entered during the course of play. Basically, one will not only be a better golfer by following these rules of etiquette, but they will also help the individual golfer to get along with and fit into the general community of golfers. Part of the reason these golfing traditions are carried on from generation to generation, is that they are generally unspoken or unwritten, and therefore need to be primarily demonstrated to the beginner golfer. This often implies a passing on of these ideals from parent to child or grandparent to grandchild. The family involvement also adds strength to the meaning of golfing traditions.

Since the game of golf is passed down generation to generation, it only makes sense that there are cultural and social differences that affect the current community of golfers. After interviewing my 84-year-old grandfather, who still golfs once a week, it became apparent that there are cultural and social differences that exist between the current community of golfers, and the community of golfers he grew up with. He mentioned that there were fewer socioeconomic and ethnic differences among golfers when he was first playing as a teenager. For one, there weren’t as many public golf courses available to the middle-income person, so he had to belong to a golf club in order to have access to a good golf course. Because of this, the average golfer was wealthier than the average golfer is today. Today, most any one can find a decent public golf
course that costs under twenty dollars for a round of golf. He also mentioned the ethnic differences among the golfing community today are greater than in his early days. Now there are plenty of African and Asian Americans, Latinos, East Europeans out on the local golf courses. The obvious example of this ethnic observation is Tiger Woods, the most recognized name in golf today. My grandpa feels it would have been pretty unheard of to have someone of a minority group achieve that level of accomplishment and recognition back in the 1950’s. Grandpa also has noticed more women playing golf than when he was younger. In fact, his wife never learned to play, but two of his three daughters play regularly, and several granddaughters play occasionally as well. Golf was more of a “gentleman’s game” back when Grandpa was young. He said, “Men generally tried to remain calm, cool and collected even when they were having a terrible game.” In contrast, many times when I play golf, I hear people yell or swear, or make obvious physical gestures suggestive of someone not “calm, cool and collected.” I have even seen people throw one of their clubs on the ground because they were so upset. Next, Grandpa mentioned the differences in golf attire between the current and earlier communities of golfers. There used to be a stricter dress code “usually of slacks and a polo shirt with a vest; even at public golf courses this was common,” Grandpa stated. While there is still a definite dress code at many private golf clubs, people at public golf courses now commonly wear any shorts, shirts, jeans, or shoes they like. These differences Grandpa mentioned, definitely speak of a more casual and accepting atmosphere among today’s community of golfers. I think this is actually okay, since our text states that, “….a strong community is one that respects members’ personal views and encourages them to explore their own interest” (92). As long as one person’s interests don’t supercede the interests of the golfing community as a whole, this could actually be an improvement from past generations. In other words, the prejudices of race and gender from past generations of golfers should not be carried on as a “golfing tradition” just because they existed for hundreds of years. Those prejudices should be left in the past, while embracing a new tradition of acceptance and tolerance for any person wanting to play the traditional game of golf. However, this does not mean that a person (previously excluded from playing the game) should be allowed to force the rest of the golfing community to change something in the rules or tenets of golf just to compensate for being formerly prejudiced against. For example, women who want to play golf should have to play the game like anyone else – following the rules – not bending them by claiming some special consideration for being a woman playing a “man’s game”. With this consideration, the community of golfers are positively affected by society’s recent trend of tolerance and acceptance. There are still plenty of traditions that maintain the purpose of the game of golf, without including unnecessary and pointless prejudices of past societies of golfers.

Some of the subtle, yet crucial similarities between previous golfing generations and ones of today, mentioned by my Grandpa are the psychological and physical aspects of the game. The successful game of golf has always demanded, and still does, a certain mental capacity to persevere, and even improve, in the face of various obstacles; both physical and mental. A golfers performance on the course can vary from day to day. I have had some great shots at some holes one day, and the next time out, those are the holes I have the most trouble with. So one can never be sure how one’s game will be affected each time they play either by the differences in weather, golf partner(s), club choice, time of day, condition of the course, or one’s physical condition. So the physical and psychological part of the game has pretty much remained a constant for the golfing community from generation to generation.

Finally, the individual differences in the community of golfers today, they are just as devoted to the basic tenets of golfing as the community of golfers were in earlier generations. The differences that do exist, can actually be seen as improvements to the overall golfing community, which make it a more stable entity in today’s society than if it had not changed along with the surrounding culture in America.