April 10: Celebrate Golf Day!

2015 Masters Champion, Jordan Spieth. April 10 is designated for Golf Day, a holiday of sorts for those who love the game.

It was 100 years ago tomorrow, April 10, when Rodman Wanamaker and a host of charter members founded the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) in 1916. As you would guess, April 10 is designated a holiday of sorts for those who love the game. Golfer’s Day or simply Golf Day, shares its one day special billing with National Farm Animals Day and Siblings Day.

Tomorrow is also significant in that it is the final round of the 2016 Masters Tournament. This is the 80th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of golf’s four major championships of 2016. The Masters takes place from April 7–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

If you are new to golf or considering giving it a try, check out the www.playgolfamerica.com web site. The Get Golf Ready Program is designed to teach you in five short lessons everything you’ll need to know to step onto a golf course and get out to play with confidence. Get Golf Ready will be guided by trained PGA and LPGA Professionals who will make sure you have fun each step of the way.

You can even attend a driving school – not the automobile kind – but rather the golf variety. You will discover:

• How to properly swing your driver and other ‘big’ clubs to hit the long shots
• Why it’s important to start your play from the correct tee markers by using the Tee it Forward program that results in having more fun
• Learn helpful shortcuts to save time while you play

All of these initial preparations should result in an enjoyable golf experience. If you are just starting out, you might want to consider playing just nine holes initially. Your time on the course will be about two hours instead of four to five hours for an 18-hole round of golf. You might also consider playing a par-3 or executive course, which are shorter in length, and can be more enjoyable for the beginner.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just taking up the game of golf, April 10 is set aside for golfers of all caliber to enjoy the outdoors at any of the nation’s 16,000 golf courses. Enjoy!

Rick Stedman

Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a golf column, “The RV Golfer,” which is published every month in rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.