Feature
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT GOLF
by Maj. Gen. Bibhuti Bhushan
universal game in the truest
sense Golf is enjoyed by millions
around the world and its stars
are among the most recognised
sports people on the planet. With National
federations for the sport in every continent,
it is estimated that there are 60 million
golfers around the world and over 30,000
golf facilities occupying a total land mass
of close to 2.5 million hectares – which is
comparable to the total area of Belgium.
GOLF FACILITIES: Even though the
infrastructural requirements are massive,
there are well developed “sites” to enjoy
golf on every inhabited continent. In
numbers facilities in the Americas (18406),
Europe (7233), Asia and Middle East
(4570), Oceania (2067), and Africa (885)
accommodate 30 million, 20 million, 8
million, 1.7 million and .37 million golfers
respectively.
The universality of golf was key to the
Sports’ readmission to the Olympics program
in 2009 and contributed to the successful
staging of men’s and women’s individual
medal events at the games in Rio-de-Janeiro
in 2016. Golf is confirmed as a medal sport
for Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 and
Paris in 2024.
ECONOMIC VALUE TO SOCIETY: An
independent report found that UK golfers
spent 4.3 billion pounds on the sport in
2014, accounting for 14% of all consumers
spending on sport with 990 million pounds
paid in government taxes. The wages and
profit measure of economic activity was
calculated to be close to 2 billion pounds.
After accounting indirect and included
economic impact effects, the turnover of
the UK golf industry was estimated at 10.3
billion pounds in 2014!
In the US, with indirect and included
economics impacts added, the total
economic impact of golf in the US economy
was 191.9 billion dollars in 2016 supporting
1.9 million jobs, which is bigger than
Hollywood.
PHYSICAL/MENTAL HEALTH AND
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: A scoping
study of the academic literature on the
relationship between golf and health in
48 G o l f P l u s
FEBRUARY
2016 found compelling evidence that
regular golfing activity has longevity,
physical and mental health benefits for
people of all genders across the age
spectrum. Medical evidence suggests
that playing golf contributes to reduced
mortality and increased life expectancy.
When a Swedish study compared 300,818
golfers with non-golfers, they found a 40%
lower mortality rate. The study also found
evidence of beneficial effects for golfers in
cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and
musculoskeletal health.
Some research postulates that rotation
and balance skills required to swing a golf
club delivers health benefits that are superior
to other sports.
Golf is also regularly cited as a sport that
builds strength of character and promotes
good citizenship. It teaches integrity,
respect, consideration for others, how to
deal with adversity and self control.
AMATEUR GOLF: Amateur status is
protected in Golf by rules that separate
amateurs and professionals. Through there
are appropriate limits and restrictions, the
rules are intended to encourage amateur
golfers to focus on the sport’s inherent
challenges and not financial gain. For
more than a century the International
Golf Federation has staged biennial world
amateur team championships. For men
since 1958 and for women since 1964, the
standard of competition is comparable to
world championship events in other sports
and the competitions to date have been
hosted in 25 countries. Mirroring the success
of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR)
in professional golf, a Common entry
criterion was introduced for elite amateur
competitions in 2007.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking
(WAGR) is jointly administered by the
R&A and USGA. The ranking for men
in amateur golf includes 2500 counting
events and ranks 6500 players from 100
countries. The women’s ranking includes
1400 counting events and ranks 3300
players from 70 countries. Significant
investment in elite amateur golf is evidenced
in the establishment of three new annual
championships in ten years. In 2009 the Asia
Pacific Amateur Championship was launched
2019
and players from 41 affiliated National
Federations were eligible to participate.
NEW RULES & NEW HANDICAP SYSTEM:
The rules of golf have been in existence in
some form since 1744. In recent times they
have been revised on a four yearly cycle
but in 2017, a fundamental re-examination
of the unified code that, governs the sport
was announced by the R&A and the USGA.
Started five years earlier, the process
developed into the most radical overhaul of
the rules since 1984 and resulted in a set of
proposals published online to achieve the
widest possible consultation in the sport. The
ultimate aim has been the modernization of
the rules making them easier to understand
and apply. Agreed changes have come into
effect on January 1, 2019.
Also significant resources have been
committed to the quest to introduce a new
world handicap system to replace the six
different handicap systems that currently
exist worldwide. The system aims to enable
golfers of differing abilities, genders and
nationalities to transport their handicap to
any course globally and compete on a fair
basis.
It also aims to establish a metric to
indicate with sufficient accuracy the score
a golfer is reasonably capable of achieving
on any course around the world, playing
under normal conditions. The year 2020
will witness the launch of the new world
handicap system.