Saturday, June 27, 2009

G-O-L-F

Some trivia. What does golf mean? Stand for? It's something I never questioned. A friend of mine randomly informed me that she heard that Golf is actually an acronym that stands for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

My first response was shock. I decided to look into this. According to the Encyclopedia of Word Origins, one theory suggests that golf derives from the Dutch word kolf, which translates to club or mallet used in games similar to tennis and croquet.

The Encyclopedia of Word Origins states that

Another theory suggests golf is from the Scottish word goulf or gowlf which means "to strike or cuff."

Games similar to the game of golf have been reported since approximately 1552.



(iznadgolf.com)


As we know there are many many women who play the game of golf. Although, it appears that the word Golf was never intended to be read as a sexist acronym, through my search I have found websites that currently embrace it. I found websites that encourage men to leave the "battle axe" at home and join Gentlemen Only golf clubs or events. Well, sexism exists my friends. We all know it. Our job is to discourage it. I am hoping that the majority of us agree that sentiments like this are just plain ridiculous. All I can do is roll my eyes.

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