Four-Letter Word

A declaration of intent from the first issue of The Golfer's Journal

We had a grand plan. But plans, like driver at the first, can take an unexpected turn. We would forgo the traditional editor’s note and instead let golfers from all walks of life explain our mission. Their insight, humor and passion for golf would frame the conversation and put this commercially quiet alternative to mainstream golf media in tack-sharp focus. So we went out and discussed the game with anyone willing. We spoke to Gary Player and Judy Rankin, Jordan Spieth and Michelle Wie, First Tee alumni and municipal course managers. We even tracked down Kelly Slater, Jeremy McGrath and Steve Spurrier (all avid golfers). Incredible, insightful conversations ensued, but we quickly realized we had a problem: While their answers were everything we hoped for, there was simply no way to wrangle them all into a few, cohesive pages. As we all know, containing our passion for the game is often impossible. We needed something that cut to the core of the subject matter. We needed a Scotsman. It turns out that the following text, written over a century ago by David R. Forgan, perfectly sums up our motives for representing an alternate view of the game and the culture surrounding it. As for those conversations, they will serve as our inspiration to fill this and all future editions of The Golfer’s Journal. Welcome and enjoy. We look forward to teeing it up with you for many years to come.

The Golfer’s Creed

Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you may exhaust yourself, but never your subject. It is a contest, a duel or a melee, calling for courage, skill, strategy and self-control. It is a test of temper, a trial of honor, a revealer of character. It affords the chance to play the man and act the gentleman…It means going into God’s out-of-doors, getting close to nature, fresh air, exercise, a sweeping away of mental cobwebs, genuine recreation of tired tissues…It is a cure for care, an antidote to worry. It includes companionship with friends, social intercourse, opportunities for courtesy, kindliness and generosity to an opponent. It promotes not only physical health but moral force.

[David Forgan, The Golfer’s Creed, Eighteen Ninety-Nine]