Golf is much more than the pro tournaments we see on TV each week. It is an industry that provides millions of jobs and pours billions of dollars into the economy. It is a recreational activity that encourages a healthy lifestyle; a game that teaches positive values; an environmental initiative that, when done right, protects and preserves green space; and a vehicle that raises billions for charity, not just those associated with the pro tours. I have played in outings benefiting Special Olympics, ALS, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, breast and prostate cancer research, various scholarship funds and more. There is no sport that is as effective at fundraising as golf.
Still, the positive messages of the game are not reaching as many ears as they should, partly because the industry has not done a good job of explaining itself. To many, golf remains cloaked in offensive stereotypes. The recession, while abating, has created a new sense of urgency for the game to explain itself completely and immediately.
The dominoes that fell for golf in 2009 weren't devastating but they were damaging. "Northern Trust" became a catchphrase for wasteful spending, after Rep. Barney Frank attacked the PGA Tour stop in Los Angeles, and "boondoggle" emerged as the unofficial name of pro-am parties. These attacks gained traction because there was an information void. Those who didn't understand the game bought the bunk.
The cleanup work from these attacks provided a challenge for golf but also created an opportunity to not so much redefine the game but to better explain that definition to the public and lawmakers. While the PGA Tour did an effective behind-the-scenes job of putting out the Northern Trust fire on Capitol Hill, it became apparent there was a need to prevent such fires from ever starting. While Frank and others toned down their attacks, the initial vitriol triggered chatter that reduced golf to a punchline.
