Golf as a sport is easy pickings. Why? Well, golf presents itself as a sport, but in truth, it’s the only game where inaction is the achievement. One walks, one pauses, one contemplates the futility of existence, and occasionally, one swings. The ball rarely goes where it’s intended.
The equipment:. dozens of clubs are carried solemnly from hole to hole, each promising to correct the fundamental flaw that no technology can solve: the player. Even artificial intelligence cannot cure the eternal human compulsion to “go for it” over a water hazard, if there is one, followed inevitably by a splash and an expletive.
Silence as a Performance
Where other sports thrive on noise, golf fetishises quiet. It is the only pastime where the gallery is expected to maintain the composure of a library. A player addressing the ball is treated like a monk in meditation, his followers tiptoeing behind in reverential hush. The ritual feels less like sport and more like a secular rite.
The Sacred 19th
But everyone knows the true locus of meaning lies not on the green but in the clubhouse, the so-called 19th hole. Here, golf abandons its pretence. Over gin-and-tonics, handicaps are conveniently forgotten, and miraculous shots are retold with archaeological embellishment. The entire enterprise makes sudden, perfect sense.
A Note on Progress
Amid these rituals, female golfers have been quietly redefining the sport. They swing with equal precision, but with less bluster, and often bring a refreshing sense of inclusivity to the game. Many of the game’s most interesting shifts, youth development, community events, and even sustainability in course design, are being driven by women who treat golf as a living, evolving pursuit.
The Pilgrimage
For those who take golf seriously, or at least seriously enough to justify four hours of dawdling with purpose, St Francis offers two sacred stops on the annual calendar. The first is the Calamari Classic at the St Francis Bay Golf Club (25–25 September 2025), a three-day ritual equal parts competition and camaraderie.
The second is the PGA Championship at The Links, which is our very own 3rd-ranked course in South Africa. The PGA takes place during the last week of Movember (if you’re not shaving, thanks, Jeff Clause). It is a grand affair for those who believe golf is more than a pastime, but a calling…
Further reading: Golfers Are All So High
Further reading: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Links – Notes From The Editor
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