Golf may not be the most popular sport in the world, but it holds a special place in the hearts of millions of fans. In the US, more than 30 million people identify as golfers. Around the world, golf is the favorite sport for over 100 million players.
Why do we love golf so much? Why do we spend more time on golf courses than on football pitches and basketball arenas?
Golf Tournaments
Just like most sports, major golf tournaments are extremely exciting and competitive. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Masters’ Tournament, the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, or the UK Open Championship.
Golf tournaments bring together elite golfers who compete to win trophies and millions of dollars in prizes. In most cases, winners in the Majors are hard to predict.
This creates tension, suspense, and drama as millions of fans try to predict how their favorite golfers will perform. Speaking of which, we live in an age of legal sports betting. And that means you can predict golf tournaments for real money.
All you need is to find a reliable US golf betting site on 808Golf.com. Create an account, grab a welcome bonus and find a golf tournament to bet on. Focus on your favorite golf championships. And spend a lot of time researching to increase your chances of winning.
The Beautiful Outdoor Scenery
You don’t need to be Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy to appreciate the beautiful landscape of a well-maintained golf course. There are 15,000 golf courses in the US alone.
And many of them are publicly owned, meaning getting access is easy. The only requirement is to dress neatly—a casual dress code is preferred. Of course, registration may be required, although some courses just need you to show up and pay golfing fees.
If you’re keen on enjoying nature at a golf course, be sure to choose a place with lots of trees and vast amounts of greenery. Also, consider visiting different golf courses every now and then. You’ll have more adventurous experiences compared to just watching the sport on TV.
Health and Fitness
Contrary to popular belief, playing golf is an excellent way to burn calories. This is especially true if you prefer walking to using a golf cart. On average, you burn 300 to 700 calories after a day of playing golf.
The best part is that you spend your day appreciating flora and breathing fresh air. That being said, you can’t get truly fit playing golf if you don’t follow the right dietary routine.
A well-balanced diet combined with golfing can make you both healthier and mentally fit. That’s right. The game of golf can help you relieve stress: that is, until your shot lands in the water hazard.
If you really want to be fitter, though, consider working out outside of the golf courses as well. Take a walk whenever you can. Hit the treadmill or cycle to work.
Challenges and Accomplishments
Ever wondered why some golfers take so long before they take a shot? That’s because golf is hard. It’s full of challenges, some of which can never be completed. Think of completing an entire round in 18 strokes. No one has ever done it.
Golf challenges are why the sport is so enjoyable. You can set on overcoming a new challenge every time you head to the golf course. You can work on making a birdie, completing a par, or cleaning your way out of a bunker.
In other words, learning golf is like learning any other skill. You keep going back because you have a new challenge to unlock. There’s something more interesting you can achieve.
If you’re a competitive person, golf also gives you a chance to put your skills to the test. There are lots of players who visit golf courses to compete with others. You don’t have to play for money. Competition could be small, involving your own circle of friends.
Networking and Camaraderie
It’s no longer a secret. A lot of business deals are made on golf courses. When marketing executives and CEOs get tired of their corner offices and boardroom meetings, they meet on golf courses to discuss unique business deals.
Sometimes it’s not always about closing deals. Some people play golf for normal social interactions alone. But through these social interactions, they make friends and create networks that could later morph into business partnerships or marriages.
In other words, playing golf is not just good for your health. It’s beneficial to your career too. So, show up to golf tournaments and meet new people. You can find new clients, create friends, or discover unique business opportunities.
Integrity and Honesty
Golf is often referred to as a gentleman’s game. And that’s a key factor for why people who place a premium on integrity, decorum, and honesty love the sport. In golf, hooliganism is rare.
Instead, everyone dresses nicely and exercises politeness, honesty, and respect while interacting with other golfers. Due to this long tradition of encouraging respect and decorum, you will seldom find security guards policing players on a golf course.
Some golf courses allow players to carry or drink beer between shots. Still, players have to exercise restraint. They know better than to distract golfers or talk business while others try to unwind.
Golf is Getting Affordable
The days when golf was considered a rich man’s sport are long gone. The sport is getting cheaper in terms of gear and green fees. We know—some courses still charge more than $500 for a few hours of golfing.
But some courses charge $40 to $50 for an entire round of the game. This averages $10 an hour, which is cheaper than most sports out there. When it comes to affording gear, it all depends on your budget and the quality of equipment you plan to purchase.
Due to advancing technologies, we have much better golf clubs, balls, shoes, and bags. If you’re willing to spend big on the latest equipment, you can enjoy the game like a pro. But if you don’t have a big budget, that’s okay too. Some professionals still use old golf clubs and win tournaments.
