This article by Ron Sirak appeared in Golf World Monday, September 24, 2012. Permalink

Last week, in the middle of its election coverage, The New York Times had the headline, “We Are Golf: Seeking a Truce on the Links.” The article was about the efforts of We Are Golf, a three-year-old group led by the Club Managers Association of America, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the PGA of America, to remind lawmakers that golf generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the U.S. economy. Last week, the Times said, We Are Golf sent a letter to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) after he said at the GOP convention that President Obama (shown) is “a good husband and a good father and, thanks to a lot of practice, a good golfer.” The letter asked Rubio to “please reconsider your political strategy of criticizing President Obama’s passion for golf.” Dave Marin, a We Are Golf spokesman, says the group has also defended Republican House Speaker John Boehner from attacks on his love of the game. Marin says such politicking “reinforces a misinterpretation of the game” and has led to legislation that blocked golf courses from federal aid after Hurricane Katrina, lumping the business in with massage parlors, racetracks and liquor stores. Golf is good for business, says We Are Golf, especially in states like Florida.