I have spent the greater part of the last few days finishing up an article for our March print issue about who does what in the game of golf, specifically for the golfers of our region of Canada.
The genesis of the article came a few years back when I started getting a lot of inquiries from readers. Very often they were confused about all the acronyms they heard in golf and what the groups were all about. RCGA, USGA, GAO, GJAC, OVGA…it was just too much for many of them.
It’s understandable, golf boomed in the 1990’s and most people’s focus was simply on playing the game, not figuring out who ran the tournaments or which affiliation their golf pro had.
Can you really expect most people to know that the PGA of America and the PGA Tour are two very separate identities with two very different purposes? How about the difference between a professional golfer and a golf professional? Seems simple enough for you avid players but imagine being a newbie confronted with this alphabet soup!
So the next time a new golfing friend asks about who does what in golf, as the more “in the know” person, show them some kindness and lay it out for them. Just because somebody does not know that the RCGA runs the Canadian Open, an event on the PGA Tour, at a club where there is a CPGA Professional and the golfers are part of the GAO, while the guy who cuts the grass is a member of the OGSA and the CGSA, does not make them a lesser person. Just a new golfer that needs a little help.
For those who want a little more knowledge on the subject, check out our upcoming print issue or sign up for the free VIP Newsletter at www.flagstick.com and get the digital edition when it publishes next month.
