Today I read two distinctly different articles about golf in two different publications: One in The New York Times; and one on Golf.com. The NYT article was a dark portrait of golf and suggested that the game was unethical. The premise was based on comments made by Hugo Chávez that golf was, in essence, a rich-man’s game, which the author (Randy Cohen) then used to justify why golf should not be an Olympic sport in 2016. Reading the article gives you the impression Mr. Cohen doesn’t know much about the game.

Meanwhile, the Golf.com article was a glowing review of Sand Hills Golf Course in Nebraska. In his writing, the author, Joe Passov, paints a glorious picture of Sand Hills, citing the perfection of the land and gorgeous surroundings. He literally has you feeling like you’re ready to book a flight to Nebraska to play this place. Then, in the last line, he hits you with this: “Sand Hills is difficult to get to — and even more difficult to get on. However, the layout’s virtues — and influence — can’t be underestimated. This is the greatest course of the last 50 years.”

That’s right, Sand Hills is private. It’s the greatest course of the last 50 years and you can’t even play it. For fun, I clicked on the link of Golf.com’s list of “50 Greatest Courses of the last 50 Years” and guess what? THEY’RE ALL PRIVATE! [UPDATE: Thanks to Vince for pointing out a handful of the courses on the list are indeed open to the public – though at a steep price tag]

So the irony here is no matter how anti-golf and poorly researched the NYT article is, the Golf.com article backs-it-up. Golf is a game for the richies with private country club status – or at least that’s how top publications (both mainstream and niche publications) are apparently projecting it. But the truth is you don’t have to be rich to play golf anymore (believe me, I’m living proof). So how do we change it? It won’t be easy, but a good start would be for golf publications to begin highlighting more public courses (and not just the Pebble Beach’s of the world either) – there needs to be a shift in focus to more affordable courses too. Inexpensive courses may not be the most glamorous, but they are where more people learn, play and enjoy the game than anywhere else. Wherever the change comes from, let’s hope it’s soon.