A course is a course, of course of course …

Or is it?

According to those madcap bean-counters at the National Golf Foundation, the number of off-course golfers (those going to simulators, driving ranges and entertainment venues such as Topgolf) recently surpassed the number of traditional on-course golfers in the United States.

For the sake of full disclosure, I am neither a traditional golfer nor a high-tech golfer. But I do enjoy playing miniature golf with my wife and son when we’re on vacation. (For the sake of fuller disclosure, the biggest hazard in such scenarios is not water but “got through nine holes quicker than I expected and now we have more time for the outlet malls. Yay.”)

Yes, glitz and convenience have swayed many golfers, both neophyte and seasoned. (“The rise of the strip-mall country club,” someone dubbed the phenomenon.)

But long-term, I wonder just........

© Yuma Sun