By Patty Endres, Garden Square at Westlake Assisted Living
Have you heard that the word GOLF is an acronym for the words, “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden?”
As a woman who plays golf I just rolled my eyes. But, this has been said for MANY years! Is it true? Well, in a way it is. Golf originally started as a medieval Dutch game. It was a game men played by hitting a leather ball into a hole with a mallet or a club. The word “club” was pronounced, ‘kolf’ or ‘kolve.’ In Scottish the word was pronounced, ‘golve,’ ‘gowl’ or ‘gouf.’
Then, as time went on, golf associations were started and like many pubs or other men’s clubs women weren’t allowed in. Even today there still remain some clubs that don’t allow women. So, even though GOLF doesn’t mean, Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden, you can see where this may have started and why it remains today as an urban myth.
National Golf Month is a way of making the benefits of golf more visible to the public. Golf is something tiny children can play and can continue throughout life into old age (My dad still plays and he’s 91). It’s something people can do as a family, or a way to meet others, enjoy nature and to get some physical exercise. Getting better at the sport can take a lifetime, trust me! But it’s always fun to see how the next stroke can be improved to increase skill and cheer on a low score.
If you’ve ever wanted to start something new, golf is a great sport to start at any age.
Call your local recreation center or golf club for leagues, tourneys, classes or tee times. They’re always ready to help anyone get into the game.