Golf and the cyber-golfer

Golf is a game widely reputed to have been invented by Scottish shepherds whiling away the hours knocking stones around with sticks. A long way removed from today’s multi-billion dollar industry and yet if one thinks about it, we went from humble shepherds playing for fun to the rich taking the game over for themselves and making it an elitist sport; in the last thirty years the game has opened up to many millions of new players while those at the top of the game are wealthy, elite, superstars!

Golf has seen some incredible changes in everything from the length and condition of courses (and of course the number of them) to the size and material that the balls are made from, to of course the plethora of manufacturers turning out ‘new improved’ clubs every few months. One of the most recent innovations to assist both golf courses and holidaying golfers or golfers wanting an ‘away day’ is the internet, it’s so simple to obtain information about the course, how to get there, the facilities available, hotel accommodation, car hire, restaurants or any of the other 101 questions that arise when trying to book. Instead of having to write a letter and send it via ‘snail mail’ or spend an interminable time on the telephone one can research the information in odd spare moments and then send an e-mail to request bookings etc.

Many golfers are becoming ‘cyber-golfers’ because of both the time saving and convenience. A further development is the specialist company offering golf packages, this could be for a corporate day or pr event for a company and it’s clients or simply a group of friends who wish to visit a particular country to play some golf on a variety of courses without having to do the research themselves but to be offered a choice of accommodation and golf courses with perhaps flights and suitable car hire included.