Golf has a bad reputation for being boring and slow. The stereotype about golf is usually that it is only for old retired suburban grandpas. Golf is what your dad puts on the TV when there is nothing else good to watch. So you might be wondering, why should I care about golf? Here are five reasons why you, as a student at Wazzu, should care about the great game of golf. 

One: It is a Great Way to Exercise and Have Fun 

Doubt me? Try walking for three hours straight while carrying a bag full of metal poles. It is not something that is necessarily easy to do. But it is probably more fun to get your daily exercise playing golf than, say, jogging on a treadmill. Seriously, who wants to run a treadmill? Especially when we have a beautiful golf course right here in our own backyard? If you have not made it out to the Palouse Ridge Golf Club yet, you might want to check it out. It is a great way to have a fun afternoon with your friends, while also getting great exercise! 

Two: The Cougars have a Great Golf Team 

Of course, I was going to find a way to mention the Wazzu golf team in this piece. If you did not know, the Cougars actually have one of the better men’s golf teams in the PAC-12. The Cougs have competed in seven tournaments this year, and have done well in every single one of them. They finished second, sixth, fifth, second, third, seventh and ninth. They have been in the top half of teams in all seven tournaments they have played, and have been in the top third in all but one while finishing in the top three in three separate tournaments. With three more tournaments coming up in the spring before the PAC-12 Championships in April, the Cougars are in a very good position to make a run toward the playoffs. 

Three: Golf is A Calming Experience 

According to Psychologist Jenny Roe, for the website golfandhealth.org, playing golf reduces stress and improves mental health. Her research focused on the concept of ‘green exercise,’ which is exercise outdoors. Golf calms you down, forces you to focus on the little things and allows you to be in nature, surrounded by green grass and trees. It gives you a chance to breathe and just slow life down. Even watching golf can be a calming experience, being one of the slowest, and least stressful sports. Even the commentators have a way of making me doze off to sleep on my most stressful days. 

Four: You are gonna(going to-AO) be playing it eventually (trust me) 

It happens to everyone eventually. Maybe not until you are out of college, maybe not until you have more money, maybe not even until you are retired, but eventually, everyone goes through the golf phase. It is no secret; old people love golf. So why not get a head start on the competition and start playing it now? That way, in twenty years, you can show off to your coworkers, instead of being the one who does not know how to play. 

Five: Golf is a metaphor for life 

The golf course is like the course of life. Each hole is like a new chapter, or phase, of your life. Some holes are easier, and some are more challenging. Similarly, some phases of life will be easy, and others difficult. You are going to fail at times, succeed at times, laugh at times, be frustrated at times. Golf is full of ups and downs. Every hole is a unique challenge. You might Birdie one hole (that means completing it in fewer attempts than the target), and then bogie the next (that means completing it in more attempts than the target). Just like in life; one year might be amazing, and the next year might really suck. You never really know what is coming, but you still get through it, and eventually you reach the end. And whether or not you have won or lost at golf, after you finish, you feel accomplished, satisfied and happy after a fun few hours. Similarly, whether you feel like you are winning or losing in life, it is important to feel accomplished for everything you have done, and be happy no matter how difficult the journey gets.