We need to change the narrative that golf is only for the wealthy and the privileged

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This article was published 28/06/2021 (1859 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For me, it wasn’t the “carpool and pops” quote that was so maddening during the five weeks Ontario’s golf courses were closed this spring.

If you somehow missed that quip, if you do not live in Ontario and weren’t paying attention, those words came from the mouth of embattled Premier Doug Ford. In making those remarks, Ford acknowledged the relative safety of playing golf amid COVID-19 but expressed concern over the habits of golfers before and after their games.

You see, his chums had copped to driving to courses together and gathering for beers — pops — after their rounds. So the premier more or less lumped all golfers into that lot and the game’s reopening was delayed further. At one point, Ontario was the only jurisdiction in the world where golf was not allowed.

But that’s not what irked me the most during the golf course closure debate that played out on social media and in newspaper editorials. Truthfully? Golfers do those things. A few, in addition to Doug’s buds, have done so illegally. Let’s not kid ourselves there.

Instead, what drove me nuts, and what always has when golf is on trial for something — environmental concerns, greenspace allotment, the time it takes — is the narrative that the game is only for the wealthy and the privileged. Even when those words weren’t used in tweets or news stories that essentially asked why golfers should get their way, they were implied.

Why should people with a lot of money get their way?

“We were infuriated that golf was represented as an old, rich, white-guy sport. That may have been the case in the 1970s but it is not the case in 2021, and certainly not the case at Sawmill (Golf Course),” said Carrie Julie, the general manager of the family owned and operated club in Ontario’s Niagara Region.

“We have over 400 kids in our junior programs, have a family pass program that is sold out, and our leagues are balanced between men and women,” she continued. “It felt like a personal snub when the premier presented golf the way he did, especially when we work so hard to bring golf to families at an affordable cost.”

The peak green fee at Sawmill is $50, and after 4 p.m. on weekends two adults and two children under 13 from the same immediate family can play for $35. Across the country there are a bounty of public golf courses like Sawmill. I grew up playing one just like it. So did Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Graham DeLaet and Mike Weir.

Today, none of the courses those touring pros played as juniors costs an adult more than $68 for 18 holes. That’s roughly $15 an hour, about the same rate pool halls charge for a table. There are also many private clubs in smaller centres that are family friendly and cater to the middle class. Have you ever wondered why many of Canada’s best golfers hail from places like Smiths Falls, Ont., and Abbotsford, B.C.? It’s because on the whole, golf is not prohibitively expensive.

“It’s lazy when people say golf is just for rich people,” said David Sheman, a PGA of Canada professional. “It’s similar to riding a bike. People ride really, really fancy road bikes. That’s an upscale leisure activity where people spend way more money on their bikes than I will ever spend on a car. But if we just said riding bikes is just for rich people and some habit of the bourgeoisie, it’s lazy, it’s silly.”

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Sheman is uniquely positioned to appreciate golf’s wide appeal. He splits his time teaching lessons between Emerald Hills G.C., a private ClubLink course in Stouffville, Ont., and Carrickmacross Golf Centre, a public facility in nearby Maple with a driving range and an 18-hole executive course that tops out at $24. Sheman sees a wide range of people at Carrickmacross, of different classes and backgrounds, and said such places are easily forgotten in the broader discussion about the game.

Sure, there are private clubs in this country’s biggest and most expensive cities that very few can afford. This column is not to disparage them. They are excellent and opulent and have their societal place. But they are in the minority. They are the exception to the rule. They are not really what the game is about.

“Perhaps,” offered Sawmill’s Julie, “the premier and other ministers would like me to take them on a tour of what the demographic at Ontario golf courses looks like on any given day.”

Good idea.

Jason Logan is the editor of SCOREGolf Magazine and is based in Toronto. He is a contributor to the Star’s Sports section. Follow him on Twitter: @jasonSCOREGolf