As Keith strolls the Brooklawn Country Club this week, his “appreciation for the game is growing stronger.”
The golf tournament calendar is in mid-season form. In the past two weeks, we have seen a major championship on the PGA Tour, LPGA, and PGA Tour Champions. The USGA hosts a national championship each week; the PGA of America has hosted their boy’s and girl’s championships, and now the Olympics are here. Nobody can deny that it’s a great time in golf. The only thing better than all the competitions are the unique stories.
In the last four weeks, there have been a total of nineteen playoff holes on the PGA Tour. At the Amundi Evian Championship two separate players shot ten under 61! Just this past Sunday, the Men’s Senior Open Championship was won with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole. Here’s the best part, if you missed all of it, there’s plenty more to come.
This week I have been walking the fairways of Brooklawn Country Club, host of the 3rd US Senior Women’s Open. In doing so my appreciation for the game only increases. Here’s why, this event is only four years old (cancelled in 2020). Everyone assumes the USGA runs championships as old as the game itself. They do, but this new championship shows a different side of the USGA and all of golf.
The reality is: our game is changing on all levels. Watching women 50 and older play championship golf is impressive. As I navigate my way around this tremendous AW Tillinghast design, I’m thoroughly impressed by the play. I’m not sure that twenty years ago, a senior championship on any tour would display such athleticism and skill.
The infancy of this event shows us all how much the game is growing. We witnessed ten million more people join the game in 2020 and countless more will continue to try golf in 2021. With all this growth, the game still offers something for all of us. It’s fun to watch a Bryson DeChambeau bomb off the tee but standing next to Annika is even more insightful. I can see her swing and appreciate it. This is what we all love about the game. With all its complexity, it also offers incredible variety.
It truly is a game for a lifetime. Not just in the length of time we can play it, but for how long we can enjoy it. Golf caters to five different generations at once. Name another sport that relates to grandparents and grandkids? Men as much as women? Golf is also evolving right before our eyes. Players are more dynamic hitting the golf ball farther and leading associations like the USGA are adding new championships like the US Senior Women’s Open.
The last year and a half have been a great reset. A moment where we were all forced to pause and think. As you look ahead consider how you will change your game. Is it finally time for a lesson? Did you know many PGA Coaches offer them virtually now? Will you start watching golf on television. Add something new to your game this season. With so much to offer, there’s something for everyone.
Do it now before your days are filled up again. The rewards of playing, spending time with family/friends and the fitness benefits are tangible. Make golf your thing in 2021 and beyond. Learn a little more about the game. Play an extra round per month. Attend a golf tournament. Golf is truly an endless buffet of competition, camaraderie, and challenges. Embrace all the game has to offer and the personal reward you feel will be tremendous.
