The Golfer's Creed

Golf is a science, the study of a lifetime, in which you may exhaust yourself, but never your subject.

It is a contest, a duel, or a melee, calling for courage, skill, strategy and self-control. It is a test of temper, a trial of honor, a revealer of character.

It affords the chance to play the man and act the gentleman....It means going into God's out-of-doors, getting close to nature, fresh air, exercise, a sweeping away of mental cobwebs, genuine recreation of tired tissues.... It is a cure for care, an antidote to worry.

It includes companionship with friends, social intercourse, opportunities for courtesy, kindliness and generosity to an opponent. It promotes not only physical health but moral force.

- 19th Century “Golfer’s Creed” by David Forgan