Sports Quote by Tom Watson

Golf will grow so long as it is fun because joy, not obligation, is the real engine of participation. People do not return to a game that makes them feel small, bored, or excluded; they return to the one that gives them stories, laughter, and the satisfying thump of a well-struck shot. Fun is not the opposite of seriousness. It is the feeling that the challenge, the company, and the setting combine to reward your effort. When that feeling is present, golf becomes contagious. When it is absent, no marketing slogan can fill the tee sheet.

Tom Watson has long embodied that balance. A purist who thrills at the wind and bounce of links golf, he still radiates delight whether contending at Turnberry at 59 or playing casual rounds with friends. His message is simple: the game survives by being playable and welcoming. You can see it in his respect for firm, running courses that let imagination thrive and in his championing of juniors and everyday golfers. Fun is the antidote to golf’s barriers: cost, time, complexity, intimidation. Make the experience feel approachable and satisfying, and new players will stay. Make it punishing or joyless, and they will drift away.

The practical implications are clear. Courses set for everyday players should reward good shots rather than magnify mistakes. Tees should match ability. Nine holes, twilight rounds, and scrambles should feel as legitimate as marathon medal play. Pros and clubs should celebrate curiosity and learning, not gatekeep with jargon and rigid etiquette. Technology, from simulators to Topgolf, can be an on-ramp, not a threat. Even the recent surges in participation prove the point: people flock to golf when it fits their lives and lifts their spirits. Keep the essence playful and human, and the game will renew itself. Forget that, and the fairways will empty no matter how grand the traditions.