“I was between clubs. I didn’t know if I should hit a three-wood or pitching wedge.” — NCCC member John Phillips, when his ball came up short of the pin.

Our season is winding down. Leaves, temperatures, and daylight are all falling. Scores are rising. Ironically, the 2015 PGA season is ready to kickoff. In the professional game, golf has joined other sports by jumpstarting the season before the new year has even begun. But, it is our game, the amateur game, which continues to hold our interest and drives us to seek constant improvement. Golfers everywhere work hard on their game and promote the sport that has enthralled so many of us.

There is a concerning theme reverberating across the golfing landscape. Young people are not getting involved in the game of golf, and the number of players is declining. We can point to reasons why more youngsters are not taking up the game of golf: time, money, and other interests, as examples. I would like to look at how we can encourage more participation. If players today don’t start helping introduce players to the game of golf, the game as we know it will go the way of the dinosaur.

If golf is going to grow and flourish, it will be the youngsters who will join the game and demonstrate the character, honesty, and integrity that are the foundations of golf. Results and scoring are important to a golfer, but, in the larger realm of life, it is the self-reliance, self-discipline, and honesty required to play properly that lead to a lifetime of satisfaction.These values are difficult to teach, and the lessons experienced can be very hard to accept. Golfing etiquette can be taught and is a requirement when playing golf, but, the intangibles of integrity and character can only be learned over a variety of golf experiences.

We cannot forget that golf is a game, and games involve fun. If you make a child’s experiences in golf fun and pleasant, you’ll get that child wanting to return. Hardy Greaves, the young caddy in the movie, “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” described golf in the following soliloquy: “The greatest game there is … ask anybody. It’s fun, it’s hard, you stand on the green grass, and it’s just you and the ball. There ain’t nobody to beat up on but yourself. It’s the only game you can call a penalty on yourself, if you’re honest, and most people are. There just ain’t no other game like it. Yes, sir, the greatest game there will ever be. Just you and the ball, all by your lonesome.”

Remember, hitting a golf ball is a difficult task. To strike the ball well and consistently is what every golfer is trying to achieve. But, the complete game of golf, includes so many intangibles. Teaching the complete game is a legacy golfers can share with others and in particular, young people, so golf can survive and flourish. Have a great off-season!

Click here to read full story and for story source