It's a magnificent game!

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

We all have ideas on what might be wrong with the game of golf, but it is also worth looking at what is right about the game. Come rain, hail or shine, millions of us play, week in, week out, so what's the attraction?

It's an outdoor sport, so you get to enjoy the fresh air while taking a four- or five-mile walk. On a beautiful summer's day, there is nowehere better to be than out on a golf course in the company of friends. And technology has progressed to such an extent now, that we all have waterproofs that work even in the heaviest of rain and thermals to keep us warm on the coldest of days.

Technology also means that the old farts among us can hit the ball as far, and sometimes further, in their sixties than they did in their twenties. How good is that? Golf shoes, which once were heavy and left you in agony for the first four or five rounds after you bought them, are now as light as a feather, and fit and feel like slippers.

It is a competitive game if you want it to be, or you can just pit yourself against the course. And because of its unique handicapping system, a relative novice can take on an excellent amateur and give him a game. He will also know for sure that the low-handicap player will willingly give him some tips as they wander round the course. "I'd find another game, if I were you because you stink at this one!" Seriously, he will point out what you are doing wrong and how you can perhaps improve. It's up to you whether or not you take that advice on board.

You may only have 50p on the front nine, 50p on the back nine and 50p on the match, but how much fun is it to relieve your opponent of £1.50?

Golf is also surely unique in that it allows you to play on exactly the same golf courses where the best players on the planet compete for sport's greatest prizes. Not only that, but you can compare how you play a specific hole with the way Rory McIlroy played it. How cool is that? Just like the pros, you can have a hole in one. I've had four, but I know that there are many, many players who an awful lot better than me who have never come close. It's pure luck, of course, but it is a wonderful feeling - well it is a wonderful feeling right up to the moment when you get back to the clubhouse, realise it's packed and one of your playing partners shouts out: "The drinks are on Derek, he had a hole in one."

It's an addictive game - no matter how badly you play, there will always be one shot that brings you back.

It is a great way to escape the stresses and strains of 21st century life. Leave your mobile phone in the car or, if you must carry it around with you, switch it off.

Take time to enjoy the views, look in the ponds and lakes to catch a glimpse of the fish swimming over the golf ball you have just dumped in the water. Try to identify that bird that just emerged from the gorse. Oh no, it's Rosie Blackwater-Smythe again! And isn't that Roger Whyte behind her? What on earth have they been doing in there?

Golf is a game for life. You can start at the age of four or five and carry on playing for as long as you are able to walk - thanks to buggies, you don't even have to be able to walk very far. There's a guy at my club who has two holes in one and an eagle two since turning 90! Not only that, but you can play with your family or your friends. If you have ever got somebody started in the game, watched the bug bite and seen them gradually improve, you will know that there is no feeling to equal it, especially when you hear him say: "Why did I waste all those years playing football?"

After you have finished, you head for the clubhouse and have a drink and a laugh with your friends. The chances are that the beer you drink will be much cheaper than any pub or hotel in the area, and you may even be able to have a couple of games of snooker or a game of darts. You will definitely be able to watch the latest European Tour event on TV in the clubhouse.

People say that it's an expensive game, but if your annual fees are less than £1,000 (and for most of us, they are), is it really so dear? You can play all year round, as many times as you want. You can have a quick nine holes, a full competitive round of 18 holes or maybe an hour on the practice ground. Just compare it with the price of a season ticket at any Premier League football club - and remember that if you travel to away games you also have to throw in the costs of getting there and back every other week.

Golf equipment is expensive, but if you are just starting out, have a look around for some decent second-hand clubs - and take advice from your club professional before buying it. There are club golfers who change their clubs every year, or every other year, but most of us buy a set of clubs and keep them for four or five years, and that means they are not really so expensive after all.

You don't have to play with Titleist ProV1s. In fact, 95 per cent of us should NOT be playing with Titleist ProV1s. Have a look round for some lake balls - they are not expensive.

Most important of all, in what other game would a grown man get away with wearing pink trousers, a lime green top, a white belt and a stupid hat?

Read Derek's article on the future of the game - Click here

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]