The Idea
Ever since Golf returned to the Summer Games in 2016, some die-hard golf and Olympics enthusiasts have wondered why the unique golfing discipline of ‘Putting’ has never been regarded as a stand-alone sport in its own right.
While long-established Olympic sports like Swimming or Shooting have 37 and 15 gold medals respectively on offer to their athletes every four years, Golf only has a meager two available.
Putting is a remarkably skillful and subtle part of the game of golf. It is often the key element that wins or loses a tournament for a player.
Better still, Putting is one of the few activities where all genders, all ages, and almost all physical abilities can compete directly against each other on a level playing field—with near zero risk of injury.
Best of all, almost every golf club in Ireland already has a well-maintained putting green as part of their clubhouse infrastructure. So, in theory, access to playing facilities should not be a problem. This brings me back to the initial question: “Why has Putting never been regarded as a stand-alone sport in its own right?” It’s time to formalize putting into something special for all.
Introducing GimmeGolf
GimmeGolf is 3 holes of Matchplay putting that is open to ALL—with the unique added attraction of the ‘Gimme,’ which is an option for any player to sportingly ‘give’ an opponent a short putt (around a metre or less, approximately the shaft length of a putter below the grip).
At its core, Putting and GimmeGolf embrace the easy-going, friendly interaction and sporting values that have always been central to playing the game of golf. At a time when some golf clubs are struggling for membership and hospitality revenue, GimmeGolf also presents an opportunity for clubs to offer low-cost ‘Putting’ memberships and competitions during off-peak times (which could expand to representative inter-club events and beyond).
Other Benefits
Moreover, on a human level, there are myriad fringe benefits to establishing Putting as a sport in its own right. Three key published neurological studies conducted since the COVID pandemic have shown that social contact and preventing loneliness are the most beneficial activities for human health as people age (see Prof. Rose Ann Kenny: https://tilda.tcd.ie/about/).
Alas, for many people who love golf, especially elderly members, they no longer have the time or physical capability to spend up to five hours playing a full round of golf weekly (not to mention the ongoing expense). So, often, golfers just quit the sport for good. However, it turns out that even a regular 30 minutes of putting in a few rounds of something like GimmeGolf in the fresh air could potentially provide the tonic and social interaction many people desire for their mental and physical health.
The fact that all ages, genders, and physical abilities can partake in a putting match is another huge bonus of GimmeGolf. Recently, the legendary three-time major winner Padraig Harrington even built a stunning public putting facility in Marley Park, Dublin, and it has been hugely popular.
Thus, GimmeGolf is an attempt to bring together and formalize all the aforementioned positive aspects of Putting—and the first official GimmeGolf event will be held at Limerick Golf Club on September 28th, open to all.
