Golf has historically been a very elitist sport that is only accessible to a specific demographic of society, being predominantly the white male. According to Zippa, a company that collects data about demographics in different work fields, “There are over 6,917 golf professionals currently employed in the United States. 8.0% of all golf professionals are women, while 92.0% are men.The most common ethnicity of golf professionals is White (66.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.4%), Black or African American (9.0%) and Unknown (5.6%). 8% of all golf professionals are LGBT”. These numbers drastically represent how exclusive golf culture and opportunities can be. Not to mention the financial means needed to play the sport, from the price of the golf clubs, personal trainers, and membership for golf courses.
It has become the stereotype that golf is “the old white man sport” and many of us don’t meet the standards of the status quo. This may lead one to become uninterested with it. However, it’s this demographic of people that are making business deals at these golf courses, networking with one another while making a hole in one. We can not allow ourselves to be left behind, or for it to discourage us from participating in such an impactful sport.
Luckily, IE students are working on facilitating this change by motivating the IE community to take part in redefining the golf community. Last July, the IE Golf Club launched its first event with the target of making golf more accessible to all IE students.
Max, the president of the golf club, states that, “The goal of the IE Golf Club is to create a community of golf that ranges from beginners to experts”. He envisions a golf community where all are welcome to enjoy and partake in the game he is so very passionate about. The IE Golf Club creates opportunities for all students, including those with no experience to learn to play and for highly skilled students to practice and share their knowledge. He mentioned that the events are very inclusive and that half of those who participate in the events and the officers of the golf club are women. Being part of the IE Golf Club also facilitates getting golf permits and memberships for some of Madrid’s finest golf courses. As IE is a very international school, it is no surprise that the golf club has very diverse members.
“Golf is all over the world,” he says. It is a way of communicating and connecting with one another through a shared love for golf. There is a lot of time between each putt and swing that fosters the environment for a great conversation. The game creates opportunities not just for new business partners but in IE’s case to meet new people and make new friends.
Golf is a mental sport that requires much visualization and strategy. It forces and teaches you to look at life from different angles to address challenges. It is an amazing skill to have and a very entertaining sport to play.
The IE Golf Club organizes many events for all students, including workshops for target groups to make sure that each student has the proper accommodations based on their skill level. They also have gourmet golf experiences where students can have drinks and food after playing golf. Their biggest event of the year is the IE open Championship, where students play a full golf tournament and share an exquisite meal with fellow golfers.These upcoming events are all unique and create the opportunity to meet different IE students from both the masters and undergraduate schools.
Becoming part of the IE Golf Club is a great way of picking up a new hobby and making new friends. If you are already very passionate about golf and the golf club’s mission, get excited, because the golf club is recruiting new officers.
Check out @iegolfclub on Instagram for more information and events for the golf club.
I love your focus on accessibility, on top of a spotlight on a cool IE club!