Building honesty and integrity in Golf through The First Tee

About a year ago, I wrote a blog about how The First Tee integrates the Nine Core Value of Honesty into our curriculum programs. How golf is unique from other sports in that players regularly call penalties on themselves and report their own score. Golf was built on the concept of a gentleman’s game. A game were honoring the rules is taught at a young age. From how you are supposed to dress, to behavior on course, and properly conducting play. The game was developed in an era that didn’t include technology, cell phones, email and DVR. This module of a gentleman’s game has continued through the sport today with athletes showing sportsmanship and respect to one other and their spectators. Frequently calling self-imposed rules violations, never even noticed by those in their pairing, and potentially costing them a friendly bet or a prestigious trophy. This year, The First Tee Organization celebrates its 20th Anniversary. For the last 20 years, at The First Tee, we’ve taught children that golf is a self-refereed sport. That between ourselves, our competitors and individuals in our pairing, we are responsible to make rules decisions to the best of our ability, displaying integrity and honesty along the way. And, when there is a rules official nearby, we are able to request their support for making a decision or play two balls and determine which score should be counted once we complete our 18th hole and can speak with a rules official that is at the scoring table. But, if the professional sports organizations running worldwide golf tournaments continue to allow individuals outside the ropes, and potentially thousands of miles away, to suggest rules violations; then how can we continue to call ourselves as self-refereed sport based on honesty and integrity? We, the athlete, are trained to embrace and follow the rules of play, whether in the final group, being followed by hundreds of fans with every shot captured on television or in the first group off with no spectators or television…. Even when we tee it up on Sunday by ourselves or with buddies. It’s imperative that the current model of fan commentary is resolved immediately. Before young people begin to think that the values our game were once based off, no longer exist. Please, for the good of the game.