National Golf Day was April 15th and the We Are Golf coalition of industry leaders was in front of Congress to lobby for golf’s economic impact as an industry composed of 15,000 small businesses.
Jack Nicklaus & PGA Commisioner Tim Finchem with First Tee’s Joe Barrow & Bryan Yan on Capital Hill
Not withstanding We Are Golf’s assertion of economic impact, those in the golf industry realize golf is competing with many other forms of leisure activity. Golf being the difficult game that it is, entry to the sport and continued skill improvement can be daunting. “Play it Forward” and “The Relaxed Rules of Golf” are two new initiatives being touted with the goal in mind of encouraging new and lapsed golfers to take a second look at the game.
Introduced in 2011, Tee It Forward is a joint initiative between the USGA and The PGA of America that encourages players to play from a set of tees best suited to their driving distance. In addition to providing more enjoyment for golfers, teeing it forward also can be one of the most important steps that golfers take in improving play.
Surveyed Tee It Forward players:
- The majority played faster
- More than half are likely to play golf more often
- Over 80% hit more-lofted clubs into greens
- 85% had more fun
- Over 90% will Tee It Forward again
For a male driving the ball 225 yards, the recommended 18-hole yardage would be 5,800 -6,000 yards; for a female driving the ball 175 yards, recommended 18-hole yardage would be 4,400- 4,600 yards. Check out the teeing options here at Bowling Green Golf Club.
Relaxed Rules of Golf
It seems a Tour player is DQ’ed on a weekly basis.
If the professionals and rules experts can’t get it right, what are we to do?
“Relax the rules, people. You’ll have more fun playing golf.” CR
“That’s the message with the Relaxed Rules of Golf. Tournament golf is supposed to be full of pressure and stress and challenging conditions combining to identify the best player. Casual golf should be the opposite of those things. When there’s nothing on the line but fun, recreational golf should be an enjoyable experience. Trying to remember and decipher the official rules can get in the way of a good time.”
You and your friends should pick and choose the rules that best fit the way you all want to play, and enjoy the game.
- Maximum Score: Double par max
- Penalties: 1 stroke, Drop and go
- Search Time 2 min max
- Unfortunate Lies Roll it and hit it
- Conceded Putts Inside the leather
- Equipment Long putters (et al.) allowed
- Common Sense Be fair and have fun
“We’re not suggesting that golfers ignore the official rules.” But be aware, only 12% of golfers hold handicaps. That means that nearly 90% of golfers do not. “When it’s a match among friends, Relaxed Rules can make the game easier, faster and more fun. These simply are common sense practices, and it is how the majority of the game is being played anyway.”
Adopt some or all of the rules within your group, and have a good time.
