In a recent blog post I talked about how golf being a worldwide game can have it's fair share of problems politically. But, as many problems as there can be there is also great reason to celebrate the game and it's play around the world.
Photo Credit: tripadvisor.com
As a viewer in North America you don't really get to see and hear the things that you do in comparison to what there is overseas. When comparing the PGA Tour to the European Tour it's like comparing monochromatic pictures to "Technicolor". Where the PGA Tour has some exciting vista changes from the opening of the season in Hawai'i and then the move to California and the "West Coast Swing" and from there "The Florida Swing" while some of the geography changes in a way it's still sort of vanilla. The European Tour on the other hand makes stops in seemingly exotic locales on 4 of this planets 7 continents. With that we see changes in climates and more importantly to the world view different cultures.
If there is one thing that I absolutely love it's waking up, turning on The Golf Channel and watching the action from across the world. I am a nature guy by... nature and I love seeing the kangaroos on the golf course. Or hearing the call of the loudest bird on the planet (the Kookaburra). The sounds and scenes of the country's that the European Tour visits is like going to a massive buffet feast. I like hearing the wildlife in Malaysia on the golf telecasts. How can you not watch in amazement the scene from today in Sun City, South Africa where a pack of Mongoose casually played through the green without touching a ball. I guess the ruling would have been replace it nearest to the spot? I mean golf on the PGA Tour has some pretty cool things too like the American Alligator of the southern states, the pods of Humpback Whale that we see in Hawai'i and Pebble Beach (Monterrey). Or maybe a Scorpion in the Arizona desert. Other than that, the only wildlife we see or hear are the drunkards that continue to shout "mashed potatoes" after a tee shot. I would comment on #16 at the Waste Management Open but that would make me a hypocrite because I would love to be immersed with beer in hand in that setting. Or better yet... playing in front of them.
Photo Credit: golfchannel.com
I realize that most Australians would disagree with me on the kangaroos and kookaburra's and that most Floridians or Alabamans would disagree with me on alligator's because they live with them every day. But I love these types of things as they are as unique to me as squirrels are to the Japanese. I was floored to watch a group of Japanese tourists be so captivated with squirrels one day in a park. This was until I found out that they don't have squirrels there. Sometimes you take such small things for granted I guess and therein lies the beauty of the game. It gives golfers and viewers alike to take in the sights, sounds and cultures that otherwise we may not see.
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