I can tell you that on the inaugural Independence Day, the first two US presidents were NOT out on the golf course together. But they should have been.
On July 4, 1776, George Washington was in lower Manhattan. Here he would ponder how to fend-off an unavoidable British invasion of New York City.
Meanwhile, John Adams was in Philadelphia. He recently helped Mr. Jefferson put the finishing touches on the Declaration of Independence. And subsequently boasted in a letter to his wife that July 2nd would be forever marked with great celebrations.
They were both soon to be disappointed. New York inevitably fell to the British later that summer. And July 4th (not the 2nd) was inevitably recognized as America’s Independence Day.
Yet in hindsight, a round of golf would have a been a nice distraction for Washington and Adams on July 4, 1776. They could have met halfway on a farm in New Jersey and made their way through a make-shift course while consuming a few pints of ale.
But, responsibilities would have gotten in the way. Washington, after all, had an army to lead. And Adams was busy trying to form a wartime government.
Sound familiar? I mean, we don’t all have armies to lead or governments to form. But we do have cookouts and family gatherings that get in the way of golf. Perhaps one of the biggest ironies of having a day off to celebrate independence is: You don’t have much independence to choose how you are going to do your celebrating!
With that said, I’d like to know if you are going to play a round of golf today? Much like Washington and Adams, many (including myself) will sadly not be on the links. How about you?
Further Golf Independence Day reading: The Declaration of Golf Independence
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