10 Reasons To Be Thankful That You're a Fan of Golf

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Although Thanksgiving should probably be a day of mourning as it pretty much marks the beginning of the end for American Indians, it has somehow become a national holiday where we all get together with our families and celebrate what we are thankful for.

If you’re a golf fan, here are ten reasons you should be thankful.

10. International Competition

Golf is one of the few sports that transcends borders. 

Whether you’re in South Dakota or Malaysia, a golf course will never be far and a PGA Tour event will be on television.

Most professional golfers play in tournaments around the world, and there is an international team competition held each year—the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup.

9. It’s an Olympic sport

Baseball, football and several other popular sports are currently not included in the Olympics. Golf has officially been named an Olympic sport beginning at the 2012 games in Rio De Janeiro.

8. Players don’t sit out because they want larger contracts

You won’t see Tiger Woods not playing in the US Open because the purse has been decreased. You won’t see Phil Mickelson forgo the FedEx Cup because he wants the winner to be paid $12 million instead of $10 million.

Just doesn’t happen in golf.

7. No Taunting

I think it might actually be written somewhere in the NFL and NBA rule books that upon dunking a ball, or catching a long pass, you are required to taunt your competition.

Aside from a first pump or two (which is more of a celebratory act anyway), you don’t see much taunting during a professional golf tournament.

6. No whining to rules officials

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James may be the best basketball players in the world, but their also professional whiners. When was the last time you saw Bryant or James miss a layup without immediately darting towards the referee and complaining about a foul?

Doesn’t happen in golf.

5. Players call penalties on themselves

An NFL defensive back may grab a player’s face mask and drag him to the turf while a pass is en route, and that defensive back will still jump up and raise his arms above his head as if nothing happened.

If that were golf, the defensive back would have approached the ref and called a penalty on himself.

4. Popularity is growing around the world

Although we may be going backwards in terms of the number of Americans playing golf, which has more to do with a terrible economy and our middle class being on the road to extinction, golf is growing by leaps and bounds around the world.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are ranked number one and two on Forbes’ list of the highest paid athletes on the planet. That doesn’t happen if golf is not an extremely popular sport around the world.   

3. Players are accessible

You don’t need to pay $500 or attend a $5,000 a plate fundraiser to get an autograph from Phil Mickelson. He’ll stand around and sign autographs for 45 minutes after virtually every round. 

Although some players don’t take the time to sign autographs, most will take a significant amount of time out of their day to sign autographs for the fans.

Fans at golf tournaments can get close enough to talk to the players, and believe it or not, they may even talk back.

2. Tickets are cheap. 

You want to go watch the Barclays (a FedEx Cup event), it will cost you $30 for the entire day and you will get the opportunity to stand within five feet of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, etc. 

You go to Yankee Stadium that same night and it will cost you $2,000 to get anywhere near the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, etc.

Anyone can go to a golf tournament and watch the best players in the world from just a few short feet away.

1. NO STEROIDS  

Aside from Doug Barron, who was recently suspended for using banned substances that he was taking due to a heart condition and low testosterone levels, steroids are non-existent in golf.

This era of power golf will not be tarnished in any way by the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?