Column: Golf’s Opening Round
A brief reflection on community as a nation of golfers welcomes a new season
By: Shane René, Administrator of Media & Communications
Ever since the advent of televised golf in color, the bright pink azaleas and towering loblolly pines that frame an immaculate ocean of turf at Augusta National Golf Club have symbolized a budding golf season. It’s a tradition, they say, unlike any other — a weekend when golfers across the country trade tee times for couches in anticipation of an annual dose of history. This year, Rory McIlroy delivered in spades.
But every year, within a few days of the Green Jacket finding fresh shoulders, millions of those spectators — golfers from Buffalo to San Diego — return to their home clubs for a more subtle moment on the golf calendar.
April 15 marks what the USGA has dubbed “Golf’s Opening Round” — the day that handicap holders can post a score at every rated golf course in the United States. Idaho’s posting season opened March 1, states like Florida and Arizona are always posting, but today is the day American golfers can collectively celebrate the beginning of a new season. And as Masters week falls into the rearview mirror, Golf’s Opening Round is a reminder that the beauty of this game lives and dies with its participants.
Unlike football, baseball or basketball, the golf industry stands on the shoulders of people who are decidedly bad at the thing. The money does not flood around stadiums and superstars; it does not rely on jersey sales and media rights. The golf economy roots itself in every nook and cranny where grass will grow; it relies on hand-me down clubs and hot dogs at the turn, greens fees that support municipal parks departments and public golf courses. It’s the game the welcomes everyone out to play.
When we consider which sports attract the most attention, golf’s participant-first nature is easy to overlook. SportsCenter won’t come calling when you card your personal best this year; your local paper is unlikely to write a story about your first hole-in-one. But the memory of those moments lives within the communities that play this game — stories told in living rooms and kitchens, over the phone with friends and family who share a soft spot for a good walk spoiled by a little white ball.
The World Handicap System is something of a monument to that community. It’s a tangible infrastructure that connects recreational golfers across the globe. Since 1911, when the USGA first adopted a national system of handicapping, American golfers have enjoyed a growing network of like-minded players who can compete on level ground. And after more than a century of development and refinement, the World Handicap System emerged, bringing a world full of golfers closer together than ever before.
So, this year, as you head out to fill your scoring record with scores from 2025, possibly inspired Rory’s human and heroic weekend, take a moment to reflect on the community you find yourself a part of — because this game thrives on those who play without pay.