OK, so in the past I may have mentioned that I don’t play golf once the temperature drops below fifty degrees. But now that I’ve been introduced to the likes of Peter Masters and Annika Ostberg, I realize that I’m being a pansy.
Most people likely have no idea who Peter Masters and Annika Ostberg are. Neither did I until doing a bit of research. But these people are some of the best in the world, as well as the first two champions, in their sport. What sport is that you ask? Well, Snow Golf of course! Actually, for arguments sake, it was known as Ice Golf at the time.
Modern snow golf is actually credited to Tina Blomme, who created the game in 1996 and incorporated Snowgolf, Inc. in 1998. According to Wikipedia, “After developing all the products, rules and regulations, to support the sport…she [Ms. Blomme] designed and ran the first official snowgolf course next to the Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. Currently, she is setting up the 5 year Snow Golf Global Tour and 2020 Global Championships, in an effort to officialize the sport internationally.”
Meanwhile, there are recurring events like the Ice Golf World Championships, which have been played almost exclusively in Greenland (twice in Austria) since 1997 on the world’s northernmost golf course which is actually an ice shelf that gets reshaped every year by nature. So you may be playing the same course, but you’re never really playing the same course.
However, as cool as that may sound, the next fact may snap me back to reality. The fact has to do with where and when these tournaments are played. This year? The tournament was played earlier this month in Switzerland. Now, as desirable as a trip to Switzerland may be, whether for golf or not…, do I really want to be there in January? I’m having a hard enough time handling the snow and cold here in Connecticut! But Switzerland in January?!
I accept the fact that the people who play in these tournaments have a desire and, what I can only describe as, love for the sport. And these people make me feel like more of a pansy for not playing below fifty degrees. But I’ll tell you what…you can call me a pansy. At the end of the day, I’ll be the pansy in shorts and a polo.
Swing ’til you’re happy…as long as it’s warm enough!