This year, golf returned to the Olympic Games after a 112 year absence. It is safe to say that this sport does not have as much Olympic familiarity among fans as other classic Olympic sports do, including track and field, swimming, and soccer. However, as we witnessed men’s golf events take place last week and women’s golf events this week, one admission became clear — golf definitely belongs in the Olympics.

Golf has secured its position in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Based on the incredible golf events that have taken place these past two weeks, people everywhere want golf to remain an Olympic sport for years to come. The events preceding golf’s return to this year’s Olympics suggested that the sport would not be as successfully welcomed as it has ultimately turned out to be. Pros opted out from participating because of the risk of Zika virus. There were also growing safety concerns about Rio’s security.

But, as it turns out, golf has experienced an amazing reintroduction to the Olympics. Tons of fans came out to support the pros during the Games. Lots of milestones were achieved, including Justin Rose’s first Olympic hole-in-one!

There are many ways we can secure golf’s future position in the Olympics, as suggested in this LA Times article. One method is to offer more golf events, and subsequently, more medals to attract more funding and fan excitement. Another way could be to include more participating golfers so that each country has more representative competitors.

The International Olympic Committee will vote in 2017 to keep golf in the Olympics beyond 2020. We’ll be listening for their decision. In the meantime, host your own Olympic event with a hole-in-one, putting, or shootout contest! Please call us at 888-882-5440 or email us at info@usholeinone.com with any questions. We are happy to help!