Most of us have spent the better part of our lives working on golf courses. The large list of obstacles that make our professional lives interesting on a daily basis are second nature to us because we've "been there, done that." We don't really talk about dealing with insect problems or broken equipment with our neighbors or friends because they probably wouldn't understand. We're good at what we do and take great pride in our accomplishments and our ability to overcome problems. We're good at networking and sharing ideas within our community of fellow professionals, which is one of the things that I liked most about being a golf course superintendent. The problem is that we are a very small fraternity, and when you do the math, you can understand why it seems like we are constantly defending the profession and game we so dearly love.
There are somewhere around 324 million people in the United States. The current estimate of the number of golfers in the United States is around 25 million people. By my math, that's 7.7 percent of the population that plays the game of golf or, conversely, 92.3 percent of the population that doesn't have a clue what goes on inside the fence of their local golf course. GCSAA has pulled together information about the value of golf courses and the role that superintendents play as environmental stewards. It's a message that needs to be told. Many times, however, we market this material to the 7.7 percent of the population that already has some clue as to what we do every day and not the 92.3 percent that remain unaware. We've got to do a better job of broadcasting our message so that the general public realizes that there is a great deal more to that 150-acre plot of land than the game itself. Wouldn't it be great to watch a story about an endangered turtle on television that was entirely filmed on a golf course?
The good news is that we are getting better at telling our story. Many of our chapters have produced excellent videos and articles that showcase the biodiversity that exists at most of our facilities. The Georgia Chapter just released their latest video titled Golf is Greenspace last month at their annual meeting. We are just getting started telling our story to the general public, a story we've known for years but just assumed that the other 92.3 percent was aware of.
Don't you think everyone should know about the good things that go on at a golf course? Maybe it's time we tell our story to 100 percent of the people.
