Exclusive Clubs- A Lateral Hazard

All day long, when I wasn't idling in front of my computer at work suffering through the onset of a cold, or shivering from the chill that lingered after a holiday weekend when the thermostat was cut back to keep the bills down, I dreamed of golf. It is absurd, my devotion to a game I freely admit I suck at. Few things bring me such pleasure, though.

We are planning a long weekend in February to New Orleans, and I plan to get at least one round in at Bayou Oaks (preferably the West Course, which has hosted PGA Tour events). It's a city park, so it's cheap- how's twenty bucks, is that cheap enough for ya?

It's a misconception that golf is an elitist, exclusive sport. Certainly some clubs have a history of exclusion, but the truth is that the game is a game of the people. My favorite place to play (not my favorite course, by any stretch of the imagination) has a bar that serves draught beer in plastic cups. Elite? Hardly

My darling wife once asked me, "If you could afford to join Merion, would you?"

I thought deeply, took a breath, and said, "No." Of course, I didn't tell her that what I was thinking, "If I could afford to join Merion, I would join Baltusrol." Ever the Jerseyan.

The simple fact is that people don't play the game because some clubs are hard to join; people play because it's fun. Make more courses available to more people, and they will play.