The "Monolith"

     Have you ever been awakened by a dream?  That happened to me last night.  I don't know if it was just the lasagna/cheese ravioli with sausage combination I had for dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant or that the dream was pretty vivid but I nevertheless woke up with a startle. It was profound and almost downright scary. Of course the dream centered around golf otherwise I wouldn't be sharing it with you, this being a golf blog and all.
     It seems that I was was on a walk--I don't remember if it was in a forest or in a cloud or on a golf course--and came across this huge cold grey stone monolith.  It was like it was a headstone on a grave and stood maybe twenty feet tall and three feet thick.  I was very uneasy standing in front of this great slab of polished stone and sensed a strong feeling of death. Obviously, this was not a cheery place.
     I looked up at the monolith and saw an inscription on its flat, grey cold stone face. The inscription had a title to it and the title in capital letters was "GOLF".  Under the title "GOLF" was a subtitle, "A Game For Old Rich White Men".  This was a bit spooky, but there was more writing on the monolith.
      This is what was written on the monolith:

--All traditions must be upheld at all cost
--White men only
--Women will be tolerated but not welcomed
--The young should be involved in their studies and not learn to play golf.  They should be kept off the course.
--Golf is no place for families.
--There shall be no innovations in the game as far as equipment
--The game shall not be made more enjoyable and available to those physically or age challenged
--You must play 18 holes in a stroke or match format
--Foot Golf and Disc Golf are anathema
--New golfers are not allowed on the course or cannot play adjusted rules to make the game more "learnable"
--"FUN", fun tournaments and fun outings are not for golf, only amusement parks

     It occurred to me what this cold, grey monolith was. It was a partial listing of the attitudes that will kill the game of golf. The game needs to be vibrant and living.  There needs to be room for improvements and change. Attitudes cannot be set in stone and not be open to discussion and possible change. I also am a firm believer that change for the sake of change is not good, but needed changes have to be looked at and implemented when necessary.
     Our game is a game that is steeped in a rich history and is full of tradition.  I am not saying that our history and traditions should be destroyed just for the sake of bringing in new players.  What I am saying is we must be flexible and innovative.  We can work within that history and tradition to bring the best to the game. We must take a good look at that "Monolith".  Maybe it is time to blow it up and get it out of our way.

We could use this on "The Monolith".