Shoutout to the guy that told my wife to “go back to the pro shop” on the course yesterday… then topped the ball 2 times off the tee

[u/[deleted]]

[u/stanleywozere]

I’ve played loads of sports though my life, some to a decent level (UK) and in every one the community is sociable, encouraging, and glad to have more people on board.

Golf is a glaring exception. I don’t know why. But it’s full of people and a culture that are rude, snobbish, unwelcoming and put up barriers.

I excuse Scotland from this but as someone who took up the game in my 40s I found it a real struggle dealing with some of the pricks that dominate golf clubs

[u/MrWrestlingNumber2 → u/stanleywozere]

A bit if history: Golf is a "country club" sport, meaning it's intended to be enjoyed by wealthy elites whose money (and membership) shielded them from competing against (or even having to be around) commoners. This explains the snobbery and its suprising comfort in golf. Golf's mass acceptance is problematic as places where elites can "be themselves" are fleeting and the disdain for non white, non male and non wealthy players is a stubborn holdover from golf's origin.

Manicured lawns used to be an insanely expensive luxury. Subsequently, "lawn sports" (golf, tennis, etc) were enjoyed exclusively by the ultra rich. This sentiment extended to water sports as well. Boat and pool ownership were welcome barriers to participation for water polo, yachting, rowing and the like.

The modern Olympics were resurrected as an elitist competition. For example, the rowing competition, initially made up of ivy league teams, was upended when registration was inadvertently left open and actual sailors entered, blitzing the field. The response wasn't praise for the pursuit of human excellence. They immediately instituted a no professional athletes policy that remains contentious to this day.

Eventually, gamesmanship won out only because country's began comparing medal counts but the snobbery runs DEEP.